Exosome RNA Exosome RNA Research & Industry News
from Genetic Engineering News
Harnessing the Power of Exosomes by Johan Skog – These lipid nanovesicles are garnering attention in diagnostics, for drug delivery, and as research tools.
Exosomes are lipid nanovesicles, on the order of 30–200 nm, secreted from cells and found in all bodily fluids such as plasma, urine, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Although exosomes were discovered over 30 years ago, they were originally thought to be nothing more than a garbage disposal system for cellular debris and proteins.More recently, interest in exosomes has increased with better understanding of their capabilities. In 2003 there were approximately 30 PubMed referenced articles on exosomes, while in the three years into 2011 there were almost 350.1 Much of the excitement is being generated from the potential to utilize exosomes in the development of biofluid-based, real-time molecular diagnostics, their potential as drug delivery vehicles, and as tools for biomedical research. (read more…)
Surveying the Exosome Market Landscape by Enal Razvi – There is growing interest in the concept of extracellular vesicles as carriers of protein and nucleic acid biomarkers.
In this context, exosomes are garnering a significant amount of research attention since they are numerous, are found in most biological fluids, contain protein and RNA molecules derived from the cell they are produced from, and can be harvested and analyzed to understand their cargo. Given that exosomes can be harvested from many biological fluids (blood, urine, cerebrospinal fluid, breast milk, etc.), they constitute a means to perform liquid biopsies with minimal invasiveness, less patient discomfort, and cost-effectively. (read more…)
GEN Roundup on Exosomes
Exosomes no longer are being ignored. Identified over 30 years ago, these membrane-bound microvesicles have spent many years in the backwater of cell biology, regarded as only the cellular containers for disposing waste.
Shed by both normal and diseased cells, exosomes are now in the scientific spotlight. They have become the subject of numerous studies and the focus of two new scientific groups (American Society for Exosomes and Microvesicles and the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles). (read more…)
