Plasmonic Nano-Aperture Label-Free Imaging of Single Small Extracellular Vesicles for Cancer Detection

Authors

Nareg Ohannesian
Mohammad Sadman Mallick
Jianzhong He
Yawei Qiao
Nan Li
Simona F Shaitelman
Chad Tang
Eileen H Shinn
Wayne L Hofstetter
Alexei Goltsov
Manal M Hassan
Kelly K Hunt
Steven H Lin
Wei-Chuan Shih

Publication Date

5-25-2024

Journal

Communications Medicine

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Small extracellular vesicle (sEV) analysis can potentially improve cancer detection and diagnostics. However, this potential has been constrained by insufficient sensitivity, dynamic range, and the need for complex labeling.

METHODS: In this study, we demonstrate the combination of PANORAMA and fluorescence imaging for single sEV analysis. The co-acquisition of PANORAMA and fluorescence images enables label-free visualization, enumeration, size determination, and enables detection of cargo microRNAs (miRs).

RESULTS: An increased sEV count is observed in human plasma samples from patients with cancer, regardless of cancer type. The cargo miR-21 provides molecular specificity within the same sEV population at the single unit level, which pinpoints the sEVs subset of cancer origin. Using cancer cells-implanted animals, cancer-specific sEVs from 20 µl of plasma can be detected before tumors were palpable. The level plateaus between 5-15 absolute sEV count (ASC) per µl with tumors ≥8 mm

CONCLUSIONS: Our techniques and findings can impact the understanding of cancer biology and the development of new cancer detection and diagnostic technologies.

Comments

This article has been corrected. See Commun Med (Lond). 2024 June 28; 4: 126.

Supplementary Materials

Data Availability Statement

PMID: 38796532