The Extracellular RNA Communication Consortium (ERCC) is an NIH Common Fund program launched in 2013 to study extracellular RNA (exRNA). The first phase of the project focused on exRNA biology and their potential use in diagnosis and treatment of a variety of diseases. A second phase initiated in 2019 sought to develop new and improved technologies to identify, characterize, and isolate exRNA and carriers, such as extracellular vesicles and RNA binding proteins (RBPs). The ERCC is now coming to a close and will host its final meeting (ERCC19) on May 1-2, 2023. It will be free to attend and open to the public.
We encourage you to join in person at the Bethesda North Marriott in the Washington, DC area. There will also be a virtual option for those unable to attend in person. ERCC19 will emphasize the work ERCC2 researchers have done over the last four years developing technologies for characterization of single EVs, exRNA carriers, and their cargo but will also include non-ERCC researchers who are pioneers in the field.
The ERCC has published over related to exRNA biology and technology since project incept in 2013. The consortium has also hosted 35+ and 120+ and is developing an exRNA-themed online course. To stay abreast of ERCC19 announcements, we encourage you to on Twitter and for our email notifications.
Program |
All times US Eastern daylight time (EDT, UTC-4). Location: Main Ballroom Salons A & B.
8:15 |
Badge Pickup | ||
8:30 |
Danilo Tagle | Director, Office of Special Initiatives National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences National Institutes of Health |
Opening remarks & ERCC overview |
8:45 |
Louise Laurent & Saumya Das ERCC2 | UC San Diego (Laurent) Massachusetts General Hospital (Das) |
ERCC2 goals and accomplishments |
9:05 |
Hsueh-Chia Chang ERCC2 | College of Engineering University of Notre Dame |
High-throughput purification, fractionation, and characterization of extracellular vesicles and nanoparticles for diagnostic and therapeutic applications | |
9:25 |
Robert Coffey ERCC2 | Dept. of Cell & Developmental Biology Vanderbilt University |
Extracellular vesicles and nanoparticles: Emerging complexities | |
9:45 |
Louise Laurent ERCC2 | Dept. of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences UC San Diego |
Developing an immunomagnetic separation strategy for mapping extracellular vesicle heterogeneity | |
10:05 |
Break & Networking (30 minutes) | |||
10:35 |
Bogdan Mateescu ERCC2 | Brain Research Institute University of Zurich |
PRISM: Purification of exRNA by Immuno-capture and Sorting using Microfluidics | |
10:55 |
Ken Witwer ERCC2 | School of Medicine Johns Hopkins University |
Asymmetric flow field-flow fractionation for separation of exRNA carriers: Blood plasma lipoproteins and extracellular vesicles | |
11:15 |
Daniel Chiu ERCC2 | Depts. of Chemistry and Bioengineering University of Washington |
Digital flow cytometry for the analysis of single extracellular vesicles and particles | |
11:35 |
Shannon Stott | Center for Engineering in Medicine & Surgery Massachusetts General Hospital |
Microfluidics for cell-specific EV isolation | |
11:55 |
Justus Ndukaife | Dept. of Electrical Engineering Vanderbilt University |
Next generation optical nanotweezers for unraveling the heterogeneity of extracellular vesicles and particles (EVPs) | |
12:05 |
Lunch, Networking & Posters (unattended) (90 minutes) | |||
12:45-1:15 |
Ontology Discussion | |||
1:35 |
Aleks Milosavljevic ERCC2 | Dept. of Molecular & Human Genetics Baylor College of Medicine |
Untangling the complexity of EVs and their cargo using the exRNA Atlas | |
1:55 |
Joel Rozowsky ERCC2 | Dept. of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry Yale University |
Integrative analysis of extracellular RNA profiles and associated tools for analyzing exRNA sequencing data | |
2:15 |
Sharon Stack | Harper Cancer Research Institute University of Notre Dame |
Application of Asymmetric Nanopore Membrane (ANM) technology to evaluate extracellular vesicle-mediated tumor-host communication | |
2:35 |
Roger Alexander ERCC2 | Extracellular RNA Communication Consortium | Overview of ERCC2 technology development | |
2:55 |
Justin Chang ERCC2 | Dept. of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry Yale University |
Visualizing dimensionally reduced Atlas data: the exRNA Explorer tool | |
3:05 |
Jesse Arce ERCC2 | Dept. of Molecular & Human Genetics Baylor College of Medicine |
The NanoFlow Repository: a resource for sharing standards-compliant metadata and data for flow cytometry experiments involving extracellular vesicles and other particles | |
3:15 |
Break & Networking (30 minutes) | |||
3:45 |
Plenary Speaker: Eduardo Marbán |
Smidt Heart Institute Cedars-Sinai Medical Center |
Novel ncRNA drugs bioinspired by EV contents |
4:30 |
Day 1 Summary | ||
5:00 |
Poster Session, Main Ballroom, Salon C | |||
6:30 |
Day 1 adjourns | |||
8:30 |
Patricia Labosky | Office of Strategic Coordination – Common Fund Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives Office of the Director, NIH |
Opening Remarks |
8:45 |
Eduardo Reategui ERCC2 | Dept. of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering The Ohio State University |
RNA characterization in single extracellular vesicles and particles from complex biofluids for cancer diagnostics | |
9:05 |
David Routenberg ERCC2 | Meso Scale Diagnostics | Identification and isolation of EVs with multi-marker signatures | |
9:25 |
Jeff Franklin ERCC2 | Dept. of Cell & Developmental Biology Vanderbilt University |
Overview of ERCC2 benchmarking studies: Complementary technologies to analyze a colorectal cancer cell secretome | |
9:45 |
An Hendrix (REMOTE) | Laboratory of Experimental Cancer Research University of Ghent |
A versatile toolbox for a comprehensive view on extracellular vesicles | |
10:05 |
Steven A. Soper | Center of BioModular Multi-scale Systems for Precision Medicine University of Kansas |
Mixed-scale fluidic systems for the high efficiency selection of disease-associated EVs and their subsequent analysis for disease management | |
10:25 |
Break & Networking (30 minutes) | |||
10:55 |
Tony Jun Huang ERCC2 | Pratt School of Engineering Duke University |
Acoustofluidic technologies for the manipulation of cells and extracellular vesicles | |
11:15 |
Ionita Ghiran ERCC2 | Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center | Identification of post-transcriptional modifications in nucleic acid sequences using purpose-designed molecular beacons | |
11:35 |
Gijung Kwak | Center for Nanomedicine Johns Hopkins University |
Extracellular vesicle-associated adeno-associated virus for inhaled gene delivery | |
11:55 |
Giovanni Camussi (REMOTE) | Department of Medical Sciences University of Turin |
Edible plant-derived extracellular vesicles as a carrier for an oral SARS-COV-2 vaccine | |
12:15 |
Priyanka Gokulnath ERCC2 | Cardiovascular Research Center Massachusetts General Hospital |
Extracellular vesicle microRNA cargo drives ventricular arrhythmia in heart failure patients by recapitulating developmental genes | |
12:35 |
Lunch, Networking & Posters (unattended) (90 minutes) | |||
2:05 |
Tijana Jovanovic-Talisman ERCC2 | Dept. of Cancer Biology and Molecular Medicine Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope |
Integrated computational, "omics," and imaging approaches to high resolution identification of tissue-specific EVs | |
2:25 |
Desmond Brown | Neurosurgical Oncology Unit Surgical Neurology Branch National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke |
Primary cilia: Exploitable glioblastoma signaling hubs | |
2:45 |
Dennis Jeppesen ERCC2 | Dept. of Cell & Developmental Biology Vanderbilt University |
Ubiquitination of extracellular proteins is specific for tetraspanin-enriched small extracellular vesicles | |
3:05 |
Julie Saugstad | School of Medicine Oregon Health & Science University |
miRNAs as biomarkers for and mediators of Alzheimer’s Disease | |
3:25 |
Break (10 minutes) | |||
3:35 |
Panel Discussion with Eduardo Marban, Shannon Stott, Justus Ndukaife & Sharon Stack | |||
4:30 |
Christine Happel | Office of Special Initiatives National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), NIH |
Closing Remarks | |
4:45 |
Meeting adjourns | |||
6:30 |
Close-out ERCC Dinner | All invited; self-pay | ||
We are pleased to announce Eduardo Marbán, MD, PhD, as the plenary speaker for ERCC19. Based at the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, Dr. Marbán is an esteemed leader in the field of cardiology and a pioneering heart researcher with over 30 years of experience in patient care and research.
Key contributions to gene and cell therapies for heart disease include creation of the first de novo biological pacemaker to treat cardiac arrhythmia, work that is now proceeding toward first-in-human clinical testing. The Marbán lab was also first to isolate and characterize cardiosphere-derived cells (CDCs), a type of adult progenitor cell found in heart tissue. The work on CDCs has progressed through completion of five clinical trials, with Duchenne muscular dystrophy as the most promising indication, now in phase 3 testing to ameliorate both the skeletal myopathy and the cardiomyopathy.
Importantly, in the process of characterizing CDCs, the laboratory has shown that their mechanism of benefit is largely indirect, mediated by the secretion of extracellular vesicles, specifically exosomes. CDC exosomes are currently being developed as next-generation therapeutic candidates for a variety of clinical indications. A major effort currently in the lab is mining the contents of CDC exosomes to identify defined noncoding RNA species, which may themselves be viable therapeutic candidates. Work in the lab spans from mechanistic discovery science through advanced clinical trial design and analysis.
A similar commitment to addressing all phases of translational medicine inspired the scope and structure of the Extracellular RNA Communication Consortium when it was formed by the NIH Common Fund a decade ago. We look forward to hearing Dr. Marbán describe the role of CDC exosomes and their cargo in cell therapy for heart disease, as well as his reflections on progress in EV and exRNA research over the last decade and his insights into the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.
In addition to talk and poster abstracts, the abstract booklet contains the final program, ERCC program goals and overview, and biographies of ERCC External Program Consultants.
ERCC19 will be held in Salons A & B of the Main Ballroom at the Bethesda North Marriott Conference Center, 5701 Marinelli Road, Rockville MD 20852. Poster sessions will be in Salon C.
Poster setup and registration will open at 7:30 a.m. on Monday May 1st, with opening remarks beginning at 8:15 a.m. The meeting will wrap up around 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday May 2nd, with a Celebratory Dinner on Tuesday night at a local restaurant.
The Bethesda North Marriott is approximately 23 miles from Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA), 25 miles from Washington Dulles International (IAD) airports, and 35 miles from Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI).
Taxis are easily available at all airports outside the baggage claim area. On the day of departure, taxis will be available by speaking with the doorman at the hotel.
The Bethesda North Marriott is just steps away from the Metro Red line's North Bethesda Station. For information on how to ride Metro from the airports, please click here: https://www.wmata.com/rider-guide/airport-and-rail/
SuperShuttle also operates from all airports. Information on prices and booking may be found here: https://www.supershuttle.com/.
Our room block at the Bethesda North Marriott meeting venue is now sold out. Availability fluctuates for rooms outside the block; you can check their reservation system at the link above. The closest alternate hotel is the Canopy by Hilton Washington DC Bethesda North. One Metro stop north (Twinbrook) are the Hilton Washington DC / Rockville Hotel & Executive Meeting Center and the EVEN Hotel Rockville.
Due to strict U.S. Federal Government regulations, food and beverage cannot be paid for by members of the ERCC organizing committee or NIH program staff on behalf of the attendees.
If you have any questions or comments please feel free to email Elke Eastaugh (elken@bcm.edu) and we will do our best to be of assistance. We hope to see you in Bethesda in May!
ERCC19 will be a hybrid in-person and virtual meeting to be held Monday May 1st and Tuesday May 2nd, 2023. Pre-registration is required for all participants. If you choose the virtual option at Registration, you will receive information via email to access the live stream a few days before the meeting. In-person registration closes on Friday, April 14th. Registration to participate online closes on Monday, April 24th.
If you have any questions or comments please feel free to email Elke Eastaugh (elken@bcm.edu) and we will do our best to be of assistance. We hope to see you in Bethesda in May!
