Biopsies are clinical tools commonly used to diagnose a variety of diseases or to monitor tissue for abnormal growth or even rejection of a transplant. During biopsies, tissue samples are removed from the body so they can be examined more closely, but depending on the type of tissue that's needed, the procedure can be rather invasive. Researchers from the School of Medicine Basic Sciences recently developed an analytical tool that could lead to the use of "liquid biopsies" as a substitute for traditional biopsies for certain patients or diseases.
The tool, called EV Fingerprinting, was the culmination of the dissertation work of Ariana von Lersner, a former graduate student and current postdoctoral scholar in the laboratory of Alissa Weaver, Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology. The "EV" in EV Fingerprinting stands for extracellular vesicles, which are membrane-bound particles that contain biologically active cargo and that contribute to cell-cell communication in health and disease. Although EVs have been observed since at least the 1980s, their origin and purpose have not been clearly defined.
The last two decades have seen research into EVs skyrocket, and EVs have now been found to have roles in endocrine processes, immune responses, and even cancer progression in a variety of species, including humans. The term "EV" encompasses vesicles of various sizes and cargos, each likely tailored to different functions. Changes in the heterogeneity of EVs.
