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SU convenes second workshop on emerging field of extracellular vesicle research
Author: Faculty of Science (media and communication)
Published: 29/03/2023



The emerging field of extracellular vesicle (EV) research in biology, physiology and biotechnology was again the focus of attention when South African researchers recently reconvened at Stellenbosch University (SU) for the second time since 2018 to discuss methodological challenges and the way forward.

Hosted by Prof. Kathy Myburgh, holder of the South African Research Chair in Integrative Skeletal Muscle Physiology, Biology and Biotechnology, and the biotechnology company Synexa Life Sciences, the two-day workshop took place at STIAS from 22 to 23 February 2023. It included presentations from researchers and postgraduate students at SU, the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), the University of Cape Town, Synexa Life Sciences and McMaster University in Canada.

Dubbed the cell's “secret messengers", extracellular vesicles are nanoparticles produced in their millions by all cells in the body. But while scientists initially thought that these cells were only collecting and releasing waste using this mechanism, it has now become clear that they also carry proteins and valuable genetic material important for intercellular communication. Depending on an individual's physiological condition, however, the genetic or protein cargo can either be healthy or indicative of disease.

According to Prof. Myburgh, the roles of extracellular vesicles cut across all branches of biology, physiology and biotechnology.  For example, because there are literally millions of extracellular vesicles in a millilitre of blood, their potential usefulness as biomarkers for diseases has gained significant traction amongst the biomedical fraternity and associated biotechnology industries. Dr Frank Kirstein, senior scientist at Synexa Life Sciences, covered the roles of exosomes, which are very small extracellular vesicles, in translational and clinical research. Currently biomarkers are typically measured in serum samples. Given that exosome cargo is surrounded by a double membrane, it is thought that potential biomarkers are protected and hence more viable as reflecting the prevailing condition.

During the workshop Prof. Carola Niesler from UKZN delivered the Keynote Seminar. She explained how they have introduced the roles of extracellular vesicles into cellular agriculture, and how they play a role in regeneration by containing therapeutically beneficial cargo and how they could be manipulated for targeted therapeutic delivery.

The focus of research in Prof. Myburgh's group is in the field of regenerative medicine. In other words, understanding how exosome cargo may be delivered to tissues to enhance repair and what cargo could be an important influence on repair. But before extracellular vesicles can be harnessed for the delivery of therapeutic cargo, researchers must first understand how they are taken up by cells under  laboratory conditions. One of Prof. Myburgh's MSc students, Kyle Hagemann, is using fluorescence imaging to study this process in vitro. The cells of choice for his studies are myoblasts, which are muscle-dedicated stem cells.

Another challenge is to harvest, characterise and possibly manipulate these nano-sized particles. Because exosomes are in the range of 50-200 nanometres, it may prove useful to use nano-antibodies for their characterisation instead of monoclonal-polyclonal antibodies typically used to identify proteins. In this regard Dr Peter Durcan, Chief Scientific Officer of Afrobodies and a former postdoctoral fellow in Prof. Myburgh's lab, has developed specific nanobodies using alpaca as a host species.

Prof. Myburgh says progress on the theoretical and translational aspects of small extracellular vesicles in South Africa will rely heavily on technical capacity: “The major goal of the gathering was to share information, including about research currently in progress or about technical processes being implemented in our laboratories in South Africa, so that everyone will learn".

MSc student Maia Rawlins, who headed up the local organising committee, says sharing of resources will greatly aid the development of EV research in South Africa.   

For more information about this emerging field, visit the website of the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles (ISEV) and the 2018 Minimal Information for Studies of Extracellular Vesicles (MISEV) guidelines.