Exploring capabilities of elemental mass spectrometry for determination of metal and biomolecules in extracellular vesicles

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are increasingly recognized as crucial components influencing various pathophysiological processes, such as cellular homeostasis, cancer progression, and neurological disease. However, the lack of standardized methods for EV isolation and classification, coupled with ambiguity in biochemical markers associated with EV subtypes, remains a major challenge. This Trends article highlights the most common approaches for EV isolation and characterization, along with recent applications of elemental mass spectrometry (MS) to analyse metals and biomolecules in EVs obtained from biofluids or in vitro cellular models. Considering the promising capabilities of elemental MS, the article also looks ahead to the potential analysis of EVs at the single-vesicle and single-cell levels using ICP-MS. These approaches may offer valuable insights into individual characteristics of EVs and their functions, contributing to a deeper understanding of their role in various biological processes.

Automated summary

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are crucial components that influence various pathophysiological processes, such as cellular homeostasis, cancer progression, and neurological disease. However, the lack of standardized methods for EV isolation and classification, coupled with ambiguity in biochemical markers associated with EV subtypes, remains a major challenge. This article highlights common approaches for EV isolation and characterization and discusses the recent application of elemental mass spectrometry (MS) for analyzing metals and biomolecules in EVs obtained from biofluids or in vitro cellular models. Furthermore, the article explores the potential analysis of EVs at the single-vesicle and single-cell levels using ICP-MS, which could provide valuable insights into the individual characteristics and functions of EVs, contributing to a deeper understanding of their role in biological processes.