The last decade has seen a sharp increase in the number of scientific publications describing physiological and pathological functions of extracellular vesicles (EVs), a collective term covering various subtypes of cell-released, membranous structures, called exosomes, microvesicles, microparticles, ectosomes, oncosomes, apoptotic bodies, and many other names. However, specific issues arise when working with these entities, whose size and amount often make them difficult to obtain as relatively pure preparations, and to characterize properly. The International Society for Extracellular Vesicles (ISEV) proposed Minimal Information for Studies of Extracellular Vesicles (“MISEV”) guidelines for the field in 2014. We now update these “MISEV2014” guidelines based on evolution of the collective knowledge in the last four years. An important point to consider is that ascribing a specific function to EVs in general, or to subtypes of EVs, requires reporting of specific information beyond mere description of function in a crude, potentially contaminated, and heterogeneous preparation. For example, claims that exosomes are endowed with exquisite and specific activities remain difficult to support experimentally, given our still limited knowledge of their specific molecular machineries of biogenesis and release, as compared with other biophysically similar EVs. The MISEV2018 guidelines include tables and outlines of suggested protocols and steps to follow to document specific EV-associated functional activities. Finally, a checklist is provided with summaries of key points.

Supported lipid bilayers (SLBs) are popular models of cell membranes with potential bio-technological applications. A qualitative understanding of the process of SLB formation after exposure of small lipid vesicles to a hydrophilic support is now emerging. Recent studies have revealed a stunning variety of effects that can take place during this self-organization process. The ensemble of results in our group has revealed unprecedented insight into intermediates of the SLB-formation process and has helped to identify a number of parameters that are determinant for the lipid deposition on solid supports. The pathway of lipid deposition can be tuned by electrostatic interactions and by the presence of calcium. We emphasize the importance of the solid support in the SLB-formation process. Our results suggest that the molecular-level interaction between lipids and the solid support needs to be considered explicitly, to understand the rupture of vesicles and the formation of SLBs as well as to predict the properties of the resulting SLB. The impact of the SLB-formation process on the quality and the physical properties of the resulting SLB as well as implications for other types of surface-confined lipid bilayers are discussed.

Supported lipid bilayers (SLBs) are popular models of cell membranes with potential biotechnological applications, yet the mechanism of SLB formation is only partially understood. In this study, the adsorption and subsequent conformational changes of sonicated unilamellar vesicles on silica supports were investigated by quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring and atomic force microscopy, using mixtures of zwitterionic, negatively charged, and positively charged lipids, both in the presence and in the absence of Ca(2+) ions. Four different pathways of vesicle deposition could be distinguished. Depending on their charge, vesicles i). did not adsorb; ii). formed a stable vesicular layer; or iii). decomposed into an SLB after adsorption at high critical coverage or iv). at low coverage. Calcium was shown to enhance the tendency of SLB formation for negatively charged and zwitterionic vesicles. The role of vesicle-support, interbilayer, and intrabilayer interactions in the formation of SLBs is discussed.

Owing to the relationship between extracellular vesicles (EVs) and physiological and pathological conditions, the interest in EVs is exponentially growing. EVs hold high hopes for novel diagnostic and translational discoveries. This review provides an expert-based update of recent advances in the methods to study EVs and summarizes currently accepted considerations and recommendations from sample collection to isolation, detection, and characterization of EVs. Common misconceptions and methodological pitfalls are highlighted. Although EVs are found in all body fluids, in this review, we will focus on EVs from human blood, not only our most complex but also the most interesting body fluid for cardiovascular research.

Since their introduction through the work of McConnell et al. in the early 80s, supported phospholipid bilayers (SPBs) have proven to be a versatile model system for investigating a wide variety of phenomena. Despite their continuous application in fundamental as well as applied research fields, the mechanism by which SPBs are formed from suspensions of unilamellar vesicles remains poorly understood. Utilizing the ability of atomic force microscopy (AFM) to investigate processes in situ and in real time, we have studied the early stages of SPB formation on mica. Unilamellar vesicles of various sizes, composed of zwitterionic phospholipids, were prepared by sonication or extrusion. Vesicles of all sizes investigated were found to adsorb to mica. Unruptured vesicles forming supported vesicular layers (SVLs), as well as disks, formed as a result of vesicle rupture, could be visualized by AFM. The behavior of the SVLs was found to depend on the vesicle size, the lipid concentration, and the presence or absence of Ca2+. The picture of the mechanism of SPB formation, which emerges from the results presented in this report, is critically compared with theoretical predictions and experimental results reported to date.

Summary. Background: Plasma and other body fluids contain membranous extracellular vesicles (EVs), which are considered to derive from activated or apoptotic cells. EVs participate in physiological and pathological processes and have potential applications in diagnostics or therapeutics. Knowledge on EVs is, however, limited, mainly due to their sub-micrometer size and to intrinsic limitations in methods applied for their characterization. Objectives: Our aim was to provide a comprehensive description of EVs from plasma of healthy subjects. Methods: Cryo-transmission electron microscopy combined with receptor-specific gold labeling was used to reveal the morphology, size and phenotype of EVs. An original approach based on sedimentation on electron microscopy grids was developed for enumerating EVs. A correlation was performed between conventional flow cytometry and electron microscopy results. Results: We show that platelet-free plasma samples contain spherical EVs, 30 nm to 1 lm in diameter, tubular EVs, 1-5 lm long, and membrane fragments, 1-8 lm large. We show that only a minority of EVs expose the procoagulant lipid phosphatidylserine, in contrast to the classical theory of EV formation. In addition, the concentrations of the main EV sub-populations are determined after sedimentation on EM grids. Finally, we show that conventional flow cytometry, the main method of EV characterization, detects only about 1% of them. Conclusion: This study brings novel insights on EVs from normal plasma and provides a reference for further studies of EVs in disease situations.

Supported lipid bilayers (SLBs) are popular models of cell membranes with potential biotechnological applications and an understanding of the mechanisms of SLB formation is now emerging. Here we characterize, by combining atomic force microscopy, quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring, and ellipsometry, the formation of SLBs on mica from sonicated unilamellar vesicles using mixtures of zwitterionic, negatively and positively charged lipids. The results are compared with those we reported previously on silica. As on silica, electrostatic interactions were found to determine the pathway of lipid deposition. However, fundamental differences in the stability of surface-bound vesicles and the mobility of SLB patches were observed, and point out the determining role of the solid support in the SLB-formation process. The presence of calcium was found to have a much more pronounced influence on the lipid deposition process on mica than on silica. Our results indicate a specific calcium-mediated interaction between dioleoylphosphatidylserine molecules and mica. In addition, we show that the use of PLL-g-PEG modified tips considerably improves the AFM imaging of surface-bound vesicles and bilayer patches and evaluate the effects of the AFM tip on the apparent size and shape of these soft structures.

International audienceHydrophobically modified maghemite (γ-Fe2O3) nanoparticles were encapsulated within the membrane of poly(trimethylene carbonate)-b-poly(L-glutamic acid) (PTMC-b-PGA) block copolymer vesicles using a nanoprecipitation process. This formation method gives a simple access to highly magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) (loaded up to 70 wt %) together with a good control over the vesicles size (100 to 400 nm). The simultaneous loading of maghemite nanoparticles and doxorubicin was also achieved by nanoprecipitation. The deformation of the vesicle membrane under an applied magnetic field has been evidenced by small angle neutron scattering. These superparamagnetic hybrid self-assemblies display enhanced contrast properties that open potential applications for Magnetic Resonance Imaging. They can also be guided in a magnetic field gradient. The feasibility of controlled drug release by radio-frequency magnetic hyperthermia was demonstrated in the case of encapsulated doxorubicin molecules, showing the viability of the concept of magneto-chemotherapy. These magnetic polymersomes can be used as efficient multifunctional nano-carriers for combined therapy and imaging