Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 16, 2026

Evaluation of the Storage Stability of Extracellular Vesicles
Published on: May 22, 2019
Extracellular vesicles or free circulating DNA: where to search for BRAF and cKIT mutations?
Jennifer Klump1, Ulrike Phillipp2, Marie Follo2
1Institute for Infection Prevention and Hospital Epidemiology; Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany.
Abstract:
Clinical evidence in oncology argues for the advantages of performing molecular analysis of blood biomarkers to provide information about systemic changes and tumor heterogeneity. Whereas the diagnostic value of cell-free circulating DNA (fcDNA) has successfully been demonstrated in several studies, DNA enclosed in extracellular vesicles (EV) has only recently been described, and its potential diagnostic value is unclear. We established a protocol for separation of EV and fc fractions and tested for presence of mutant BRAFV600E mediating resistance to Vemurafenib and cKITD816V mediating resistance to Imatinib in blood of patients with melanoma and mastocytosis. Our results show that EV contain significantly higher amounts of total DNA as compared to the fc fraction. However, about ten-fold higher copy numbers of the wild type and mutant BRAF and cKIT were detected in the fcDNA fraction supporting its diagnostic value and pointing to differences in fc and EV DNA content.
Related Concept Videos
Mutations
Mutations
Chromosomal Alterations Are Large-Scale Mutations
While point mutations are changes in a single nucleotide in...
Viral Mutations
Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift
Coronary Circulation
Coronary circulation begins at the base of the aorta, where two main arteries arise—the left and right coronary arteries. These arteries encircle the heart in the coronary sulcus and supply the...
From DNA to Protein

