[Hydrogel microchip as a tool for studying exosomes in human serum]

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Oncology
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Exosomes are cell-derived vesicles involved in intercellular communication, influencing tumor progression pathways like angiogenesis and metastasis.
• Tumor-derived exosomes exhibit distinct surface protein profiles compared to those from normal cells, making them potential biomarkers.
• Analyzing exosome molecular composition offers promise for cancer diagnosis and prognosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate hydrogel microarrays (biochips) for analyzing exosome surface proteins.
• To detect specific colorectal cancer markers on exosomes directly from serum samples.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of hydrogel microarrays with immobilized antibodies targeting tetraspanins (CD9, CD63, CD81) and colorectal cancer prognostic markers (A33, CD147).
• Analysis of surface proteins on exosomes isolated from serum or directly in serum samples using biochip-guided immunofluorescent assays.

Main Results:

• The developed biochips successfully analyzed surface proteins of exosomes from colorectal cancer patient and healthy donor serum.
• Detection of A33 antigen and CD147 was achieved in colorectal cancer patient serum using the biochip assay.
• Normal levels of CEA and CA19-9 were observed alongside the detected cancer-specific markers.

Conclusions:

• Hydrogel microarrays provide a viable platform for analyzing exosome surface proteins for cancer biomarker detection.
• This method allows for the detection of specific colorectal cancer markers (A33, CD147) in patient serum.
• The biochip technology holds potential for improving cancer diagnosis and prognosis by analyzing circulating exosomes.