Technical challenges of extracellular vesicle research

Exosomes are extracellular vesicles (Evs) of endosomal origin which have emerged as key mediators of intercellular communication. Substantial research on exosome applications has been conducted, but improvements in the methods of exosome isolation, characterization and purifications are still needed in order to study the cargo contents and functions. Understanding their composition, properties, and cell interactions could contribute to advance their therapeutic application. Research groups from Ticino are exploring the potential and use of exosomes as therapeutic agents in multiple disease models. They are exploring the role that pathway of intercellular vesicle traffic plays in many aspects of human health and disease, including cardioprotection, articular diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases.The one-day international workshop centered on the topic 'Technical challenges of extracellular vesicle research' will be held at Lugano, Ticino. The main objective of this workshop is to highlight and capture the new developments in the area of extracellular vesicle (EV).The workshop will offer an avenue to improve knowledge on the specificities of exosomes and their roles as important agents of cell-to-cell communication. Techniques about ways to isolate and/or affect specifically secretion of the different EV subtypes will be discussed. Also, participants will bring insights about new avenues for understanding the physiological function of exosome secretion in vitro and in vivo and new techniques to study exosome physiology. The three research groups from Ticino working on exosomes will confront with international experts in the field with regards to the methods used to isolate, characterize and track exosomes with the aim to achieve a standardization between different laboratories and ultimately define research guidelines.