Methods to analyze extracellular vesicles at single particle level

Abstract

Abstract Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nano-sized vesicles derived from cells that transport biomaterials between cells through biofluids. Due to their biological role and components, they are considered as potential drug carriers and for diagnostic applications. Today's advanced nanotechnology enables single-particle-level analysis that was difficult in the past due to its small size below the diffraction limit. Single EV analysis reveals the heterogeneity of EVs, which could not be discovered by various ensemble analysis methods. Understanding the characteristics of single EVs enables more advanced pathological and biological researches. This review focuses on the advanced techniques employed for EV analysis at the single particle level and describes the principles of each technique.

Keywords

• Extracellular vesicle
• Single particle analysis
• Nanoparticle tracking analysis
• Nano-flow cytometry
• Total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy
• Dark-field microscopy