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NIDDK Funding Opportunity: Islet-derived EVs in Type 1 Diabetes

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) has announced a new funding opportunity for characterization of islet-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) for improved detection, monitoring, classification, and treatment of Type 1 Diabetes (T1D).

This initiative will support the development of tools and experimental platforms for the purification and characterization of EVs originating from the human pancreatic islet and its broader tissue environment in healthy individuals, and individuals with T1D or at-risk of developing the disease. It will also support the exploration of the contribution of pancreatic EV biology to islet function, dysfunction and T1D disease initiation; the development of EV-based diagnostic tools for disease monitoring and classification; and the use of pancreatic EV biology to identify novel therapeutic targets.

A letter of intent to apply for the grant must be sent by October 3, 2021.

For more information, see https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/rfa-dk-21-016.html.

08.23.21 by Broad Institute

Scientists harness human protein to deliver RNA cargoes to cells

This blog originated as a press release from the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. Thanks to MIT News for allowing us to repost it here.

Made of components found in the human body, the programmable system is a step toward safer, targeted delivery of gene editing and other molecular therapeutics.

A new system to deliver molecular therapies to cells, called SEND, can be programmed to encapsulate and deliver different RNA cargoes, potentially provoking less of an immune response than other delivery approaches.
Credit: Courtesy of the researchers

Researchers from MIT, the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard have developed a new way to deliver molecular therapies to cells. The system, called SEND, can be programmed to encapsulate and deliver different RNA cargoes. SEND harnesses natural proteins in the body that form virus-like particles and bind RNA, and it may provoke less of an immune response than other delivery approaches.

06.16.21 by Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology

Researchers Develop Method for Rapid, Accurate Detection of Viruses

This blog originated as a press release from the Singopore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART). Thanks to them for allowing us to repost it here.

Four times faster than conventional PCR methods, a new approach called RADICA is highly specific, sensitive, and resistant to inhibitors.

● RApid DIgital Crispr Approach (RADICA) is a molecular rapid testing methodology that allows absolute quantification of viral nucleic acids in 40-60 minutes.

● RADICA is four times faster and significantly less expensive than conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods as it does not require costly equipment for precise temperature control and cycling.

● The method has been tested on SARS-CoV-2 synthetic DNA and RNA, Epstein–Barr virus in human B cells and serum, and can be easily adapted to detect other kinds of viruses.

Researchers from Critical Analytics for Manufacturing Personalized-Medicine (CAMP), an Interdisciplinary Research Group (IRG) at the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), MIT’s research enterprise in Singapore, have developed a new method for rapid and accurate detection of viral nucleic acids – a breakthrough that can be easily adapted to detect different DNA/RNA targets in viruses like the coronavirus.

02.22.21 by Brandon Levy

Blood Test Predicts Premature Labor

This blog originated on the NIH Intramural Research Program’s “I Am Intramural” blog. Thanks to them for allowing us to repost it here.

First-Trimester Blood Analysis Could Enable Earlier, More Effective Intervention

Imagine a world in which pregnant women routinely travel to places of healing and meet with wise sages who examine a bit of their blood to divine when their babies will be born. While this may sound like something out of Greek mythology, it may soon become a reality, as researchers from the NIH Intramural Research Program (IRP) have developed a test that was able to use blood samples taken early in pregnancy to identify women who would later deliver their babies prematurely.

By analyzing blood samples taken in the first trimester of pregnancy, IRP researchers were able to accurately identify most of the women who later went on to deliver their babies prematurely.

Women typically expect to deliver their babies after carrying them for roughly 40 weeks, a period of time known as gestation. In reality, only four percent of mothers deliver on their ‘due date.’ Roughly one in ten babies is born ‘premature’ or ‘preterm,’ meaning they are delivered before 37 weeks of gestation, and most of these births are ‘spontaneous,’ occuring with no prior warning. The earlier in pregnancy a baby is born, the higher the baby’s odds of experiencing short- and long-term health effects, including behavioral problems, learning disabilities, breathing difficulties, and infections. What’s more, because African American women deliver preterm much more often than other groups of women, premature birth is a significant contributor to racial health disparities.

If doctors were able to predict preterm births, they could intervene early to delay delivery. Right now, the best predictors for premature births are a history of preterm delivery and a shorter-than-normal cervix, the tube of tissue connecting the vagina and uterus. However, the former factor cannot be applied to first-time mothers, and most premature births occur in women who have neither of those risk factors. Measuring cervical length also requires significant resources and is only done 16 to 24 weeks into pregnancy.

Senior author Dr. Roberto Romero

“Cervical length is the most powerful predictor of spontaneous preterm birth, but the patient must be seen at a healthcare facility and we need equipment and expertise,” says IRP senior investigator Roberto Romero, M.D., D.Med.Sci., the new study’s senior author. “It would be great if we could have a simple blood test that could predict spontaneous preterm delivery.”

The IRP team’s study used blood samples collected from women who had been pregnant for 6 to 13 weeks, significantly earlier than cervical length can be used to predict preterm birth. First, the researchers analyzed samples from nine women who went on to deliver preterm and 70 women who delivered at term to measure the concentrations in their blood of 45 different microRNA molecules — short strands of genetic material that help control the behavior of genes. This analysis showed that 12 specific microRNAs were much more abundant in blood from women who delivered prematurely.

Next, using blood collected from 78 other women during the same early period of pregnancy, Dr. Romero’s team measured the levels of those 12 microRNAs to attempt to retroactively identify which of them ultimately delivered prematurely. Overall, their analysis method correctly classified nearly 90 percent of the women who went on to deliver preterm, with a low rate of false negatives. Moreover, when the IRP researchers separately analyzed samples from women whose blood was taken before 10 weeks of gestation and those whose blood was taken after that time point, they found that they were able to identify 80 percent of the women who went on to deliver prematurely in the former group and all of the women who delivered preterm in the latter group.

Diagram of how micoRNAs affect protein production by genes

MicroRNAs regulate the activity of genes by reducing the amount of protein they produce.

“I never want to claim anything is 100 percent, but the point is if we have a blood test based on microRNAs, we can predict spontaneous preterm delivery,” Dr. Romero says. “The idea that there is a blood test that can help us assess a person’s risk for preterm delivery is not a dream.”

The researchers also consulted an online database to identify biological pathways that those 12 microRNAs are involved in. These include processes that help transport biological molecules around the cell, control the activity of estrogen-related genes, and activate enzymes involved in cell death. This information provides clues as to the biological triggers of some cases of preterm birth, knowledge that will help scientists develop therapies that prevent it.

Meanwhile, doctors already have some methods to reduce the risk of preterm birth, and these approaches are more effective the earlier in pregnancy they are implemented. If future studies in larger and more diverse populations confirm the results of Dr. Romero’s research, clinicians could identify patients who may need those treatments using a simple blood test.

“We are interested not just in prediction but also in prevention,” Dr. Romero says. “There are substantial advantages if we can use blood markers during pregnancy for this purpose, and the earlier we can do that the better because then there is a window in which we can intervene.”

Reference
Winger EE, Reed JL, Ji X, Gomez-Lopez N, Pacora P, Romero R. MicroRNAs isolated from peripheral blood in the first trimester predict spontaneous preterm birth. (2020) PLoS ONE 15:e0236805. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0236805. PMID: 32790689.

02.05.21 by Emily Caldwell

Functionalized lipid-like nanoparticles for in vivo mRNA delivery and base editing

This blog originated as a press release from The Ohio State University. Thanks to them for allowing us to repost it here.

Inserting genetic material into the body to treat diseases caused by gene mutations can work, scientists say – but getting those materials to the right place safely is tricky.

Scientists from The Ohio State University have reported in the journal Science Advances that the lipid-based nanoparticles they engineered, carrying two sets of protein-making instructions, showed in animal studies that they have the potential to function as therapies for two genetic disorders.

In one experiment, the payload-containing nanoparticles prompted the production of the missing clotting protein in mice that are models for hemophilia. In another test, the nanoparticles’ cargo reduced the activation level of a gene that, when overactive, interferes with clearance of cholesterol from the bloodstream.

Dr. Yizhou Dong

Each nanoparticle contained an applicable messenger RNA molecule that translates genetic information into functional proteins.

“We demonstrated two applications for lipid-like nanomaterials that effectively deliver their cargo, appropriately biodegrade, and are well-tolerated,” said Yizhou Dong, senior author of the study and associate professor of pharmaceutics and pharmacology at The Ohio State University.

“With this work, we have lowered potential side effects and toxicity and have broadened the therapeutic window. This gives us confidence to pursue studies in larger animal models and future clinical trials.”

This work builds upon a collection of lipid-like spherical compounds that Dong and colleagues had previously developed to deliver messenger RNA. This line of particles was designed to target disorders involving genes that are expressed in the liver.

The team experimented with various structural changes to those particles, effectively adding “tails” of different types of molecules to them, before landing on the structure that made the materials the most stable. The tiny compounds have a big job to do: embarking on a journey through the bloodstream, carrying molecules to the target location, releasing the ideal concentration of messenger RNA cargo at precisely the right time, and safely degrading.

The tests in mice suggested these particles could do just that.

The researchers injected nanoparticles containing messenger RNA holding the instructions to produce a protein called human factor VIII into the bloodstream of normal mice and mouse models for hemophilia. A deficiency of this protein, which enables blood to clot, causes the bleeding disorder. Within 12 hours, the deficient mice produced enough human factor VIII to reach 90 percent of normal activity. A check of the organs of both protein-deficient mice and normal mice showed that the treatment caused no organ damage.

“It can be helpful to think of this as a protein-replacement therapy,” Dong said.

In the second experiment, nanomaterials were loaded with two types of instructions: messenger RNA carrying the genetic code for a DNA base editor, and a guide RNA to make sure the edits occurred in a specific gene in the liver called PCSK9. Dozens of mutations that increase this gene’s activity are known to cause high cholesterol by reducing clearance of cholesterol from the bloodstream.

Analyses showed that the treatment resulted in the intended mutation of about 60 percent of the target base pairs in the PCSK9 gene, and determined that only a low dose was needed to produce high editing effect.

Dong credited academic and industry partners for helping advance this work. Co-corresponding authors include Denise Sabatino of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Delai Chen from Boston-based Beam Therapeutics, who provided expertise in hemophilia and DNA base editing, respectively.

Dong and first author Xinfu Zhang are inventors on patent applications filed by Ohio State related to the lipid-like nanoparticles. This technology has been licensed for further clinical development.

This work was supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, and a startup fund from Ohio State’s College of Pharmacy.

Additional co-authors are Giang N. Nguyen of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; Weiyu Zhao, Chengxiang Zhang, Chunxi Zeng, Jingyue Yan, Shi Du, Xucheng Hou, Wenqing Li, Justin Jiang, Binbin Deng and David McComb of Ohio State; and Robert Dorkin, Aalok Shah, Luis Barrera, Francine Gregoire and Manmohan Singh of Beam Therapeutics.

Reference
Zhang X et al. Functionalized lipid-like nanoparticles for in vivo mRNA delivery and base editing. (2020) Sci Adv 6:eabc2315. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abc2315. PMID: 32937374.

11.23.20 by Roger Alexander

ASEMV2020 Young Investigator Awards

The ASEMV2020 organizing committee would like to congratulate the winners of this year’s Young Investigator Awards. There were three speaker awards, for talks by a Young Investigator, a postdoctoral scholar, and a Ph.D. candidate. There are also two poster winners.

Speaker Awards

Moran Amit
Assistant Professor
Department of Head and Neck Surgery – Research
Division of Surgery
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

for work on the role of p53 and axonogenesis in cancer

Frederik Verweij
Post-Doctoral Fellow
Team van Niel
Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris

for research on EV biology in a zebrafish model system

See Dr. Verweij’s recent #WebEVTalk outlining the zebrafish model system for tracking EVs.

Hannah McMillan
Ph.D. Candidate
Kuehn Lab
Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology
Duke University

for studies on the protective immune pathways in plants elicited by bacterial OMVs

Poster Awards

Killian O’Brien
Post-Doctoral Fellow
Breakefield Lab
Harvard Medical School &
Massachusetts General Hospital

for research on understanding the intracellular fate of EV-delivered content

Kathleen Lennon
Ph.D. Candidate
Talisman Lab
Irell and Manella Graduate School of Biological Sciences
City of Hope

for work on EV characterization using quantitative Single Molecule Localization Microscopy (qSMLM)

10.19.20 by Matt Schutte

Improving cancer diagnostics through microfluidics

This blog originated as a press release from The Ohio State University. Thanks to them for allowing us to repost it here.

Dr. Raphael Pollock has earned the reputation as one of the world’s best surgical oncologists for patients facing one of the toughest cancers to treat, sarcoma. Frequently these tumors start out in the very deepest recesses of the retroperitoneum, the part of the abdomen where the kidneys, pancreas and inferior vena cava are located.

Dr. Raphael Pollock

Director of The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Pollock’s 30 years of experience in the operating room naturally led him to ponder the steps before surgery, specifically if there were better ways to diagnose or detect sarcomas. In early 2019, he tapped into Ohio State’s scientific breadth and depth to investigate a new diagnostic method based upon research he conducted while at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. He reached out to Shaurya Prakash, associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and an expert in microfluidics.

Currently, there are two predominant options to acquire a diagnostic biopsy of a tumor deep in the abdomen: invasive surgery under general anesthesia; or a method utilizing computed tomography (CT) scans to guide a long needle through the skin to acquire tissue from the mass. Both are expensive and take time to schedule.

“I’ve been interested for a while in the role of exosomes in the spread of cancers,” Pollock said. Exosomes are extracellular vesicles containing constituents—protein, DNA, and RNA—of the cells that secrete them. They can affect function and behavior of other cells with which they interact. Until recently, they were regarded as merely cell waste products without much clinical research relevance.

Dr. Shaurya Prakash

“We learned that there are a number of things inside the exosomes that interact potentially with cells in the tumor microenvironment,” he added. “Then they circulate in the bloodstream and land in other parts of the body.”

So Pollock asked Prakash if there could be an efficient way of extracting these exosomes from a peripheral blood sample to obtain the contents that might be used to diagnose a tumor deep within the body. The microfluidics expert was intrigued.

“I learned that often by the time sarcomas are diagnosed, the disease state is very advanced,” Prakash said. “The value of isolating these circulating biomarkers is earlier detection. Prognosis is better with earlier detection and diagnosis.”

In the past, Pollock had employed ultracentrifugation to isolate exosomes from blood, but it was arduous and expensive. He and Prakash reviewed the literature and realized there might be several different engineering concepts that could be leveraged to improve the process.

Size-based filtration was first, since exosome size is quite specific. Prakash’s previous water treatment research was useful in developing a microfluidic filtration system. Their second area of focus was targeting a surface marker or protein with monoclonal antibodies to attach, secure and extract the exosomes.

Microfluidic device prototype

The duo’s prototype microfluidic device integrates size-based separation followed by immunoaffinity-based capture of extracellular vesicles in one process. They also are exploring the use of electrical charge to enhance the exosome filtering.

Prakash and Pollock have submitted two manuscripts—one of which was published recently in the Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems—demonstrating their device is more effective than ultracentrifugation in terms of time, yield, and purity.

The collaboration is just the latest example of an emerging partnership between the College of Engineering and The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute.

“These circulating biomarkers are a very small fraction of the overall constituency of blood,” explained Prakash. “The real engineering challenge is extracting that proverbial needle from a haystack. And how do you sort that out and get the right needle.”

Exploded view of microfluidic channels separated by a nanocapillary array membrane. The dotted line represents the cross-section that was utilized for SEM characterization of the device, as seen inset. Only a portion of captured exosomes may have been connected to the tumor, so capturing as many as possible within a blood sample is critical.

Beyond the manuscripts, the research team is gearing up to submit a proposal. Coincidentally, the National Cancer Institute is now seeking proposals that focus on developing new methodologies to extract exosomes to investigate whether the cargo inside may be applicable as biomarkers for cancer.

“We’re now in a position to really drill down into the engineering concepts of the device,” Pollock said.

He added that while this type of device could be applied to many types of cancers, it is especially advantageous for sarcoma diagnosis.

“After a long operation to remove a confirmed tumor, it is very difficult in scans to differentiate tumor recurrence from post-surgical scarring,” he explained. “But if you can detect something a tumor releases in the bloodstream, that provides you with a higher index of suspicion of what you may be seeing on a scan.

“Instead of relying on repeat scans over months to determine size increase or decrease, we can potentially identify recurrence at a very early point when the total volume of recurrence is small and more amenable to treatment. We’re very excited about the potential.”

Looking ahead, Prakash and Pollock want to build toward a systematic clinical trial. While there is nothing in the prototype device that cannot be used in a clinical trial, Prakash said some optimization would be required.

“It’s been a total partnership,” Pollock said. “None of this would have happened without the mutual interest and opportunities to communicate about possibilities.”

The research team included mechanical and aerospace engineering PhD student Prashanth Mohana Sundaram, and Lucia Casadei, Gonzalo Lopez, Danielle Braggio and Gita Balakirsky from the Comprehensive Cancer Center.

10.05.20 by Sarah Avery

Blood-based test accurately identifies viral infection before symptoms develop

This blog originated as a press release from Duke Health. Thanks to them for allowing us to repost it here.

DURHAM, N.C. – A team of Duke Health scientists have identified biomarkers that accurately identify numerous viral infections across the clinical stages of disease, advancing a potential new way to guide treatment, quarantine decisions, and other clinical and public health interventions in the setting of endemic and pandemic infectious diseases.

The blood-based test uses a gene expression assay to correctly predict nine different respiratory viral infections including influenza, enterovirus, adenovirus, and coronaviruses known to cause common colds. It shows the body’s genes responding to a pathogen before symptoms are present.

09.21.20 by Cedars-Sinai Newsroom

Study sheds light on how cancer spreads in blood

This blog originated as a press release from Cedars-Sinai. Thanks to them for allowing us to repost it here.

Analysis of particles shed by tumors points to new, less invasive way to diagnose malignancies

A recent study sheds light on proteins in particles called extracellular vesicles, which are released by tumor cells into the bloodstream and promote the spread of cancer. The findings suggest how a blood test involving these vesicles might be used to diagnose cancer in the future, avoiding the need for invasive surgical biopsies.

08.13.20 by Stephanie Allen

Simple blood test could one day diagnose motor neurone disease

This blog originated as a press release from the University of Sussex. Thanks to them for allowing us to repost it here.

Scientists at the University of Sussex have identified a potential pattern within blood which signals the presence of motor neuron disease; a discovery which could significantly improve diagnosis.

Currently, it can take up to a year for a patient to be diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), more commonly known as motor neuron disease (MND).

But after comparing blood samples from patients with ALS, those with other motor-related neurological diseases, and healthy patients, researchers were able to identify specific biomarkers which act as a diagnostic signature for the disease.