Biosensing Extracellular Vesicle Subpopulations in Neurodegenerative Disease Conditions

Abstract

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are secreted nanoparticles that are involved in intercellular communication and that modulate a wide range of biological processes in normal and disease conditions. However, EVs are highly heterogeneous in terms of origin in the cell, size, and density. As a result, complex protocols are required to identify and characterize specific EV subpopulations, limiting biomedical applications, notably in diagnostics. Here, we show that combining quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) and nanoplasmonic sensing (NPS) provides a facile method to track the viscoelastic properties of small EVs. We applied this multisensing strategy to analyze small EVs isolated by differential ultracentrifugation from knock-in mouse striatal cells expressing either a mutated allele or wild-type allele of huntingtin (Htt), the Huntington's disease gene. Our results validate the sensing strategy coupling QCM-D and NPS and suggest that the mass and viscoelastic dissipation of EVs can serve as potent biomarkers for sensing the intercellular changes associated with the neurodegenerative condition.

Smart Nanoscale Extracellular Vesicles in the Brain: Unveiling their Biology, Diagnostic Potential, and Therapeutic Applications

“…The EVs isolated from the HD mice display differential mass and viscoelastic properties compared to control mice. 123 However, what factors govern these HD-associated changes in exosomal properties is yet to be deciphered, as it predicts not only the role of exosomes in HD pathogenesis but also indicates that other factors involved in HD pathology might also be interested in exosomal property maintenance. It would also be interesting to check the inductive nature of these altered EVs in healthy mice.…”

“…As EVs play a significant role in HD progression, they are also exploited as markers to predict the disease state and progression. The EVs isolated from the HD mice display differential mass and viscoelastic properties compared to control mice . However, what factors govern these HD-associated changes in exosomal properties is yet to be deciphered, as it predicts not only the role of exosomes in HD pathogenesis but also indicates that other factors involved in HD pathology might also be interested in exosomal property maintenance.…”

A Magnetic Monopole Antenna

“…In the visible range, these structures, called nanoantennas, have been developed in different types of materials, dielectric − or metallic, , to cover a wide range of properties. Examples include fluorescence enhancement, heat generation, biosensing, or directionality . Many sophisticated antenna geometries have been used for these applications. , However, some of the simplest nanoantenna geometries induce multipolar behaviors when they are excited by an optical field …”

Engineering Cell Membranes: From Extraction Strategies to Emerging Biosensing Applications

“…Apart from the several innovative and commonly used preparation methods mentioned above, other novel methods for the encapsulation of nanoparticles into cell membranes have been reported. Freeze–thaw/sonication, extrusion/sonication and stirring, extrusion/electroporation, and in situ packaging methods have also been successfully applied in coating cell membranes on the surface of nanomaterials. ,, Collectively, the extracted cell membrane can be employed in analyzing various substances directly in the form of vesicles or to prepare cell membrane-coated nanoparticles using membrane coating technology for bioanalysis.…”