Extracellular vesicles and glycans

Abstract

Highlights • Biological fluids contain nano-sized particles called extracellular vesicles • Extracellular vesicles properties reflect the physiological and pathological state of the parent cells • Extracellular vesicles as analytes are suitable for use in liquid biopsy-based real-time diagnostics • Glycans, complex oligosaccharides, are distinct components of extracellular vesicles membrane and cargo • Mapping extracellular vesicles glycans is of importance for finding new composite biomarkers The investigation of biomarkers is constantly evolving. New molecules and molecular assemblies, such as soluble and particulate complexes, emerged as biomarkers from basic research and investigation of different proteomes, genomes, and glycomes. Extracellular vesicles (EVs), and glycans, complex carbohydrates are ubiquitous in nature. The composition and structure of both reflect physiological state of paternal cells and are strikingly changed in diseases. The EV-associated glycans, alone or in combination with soluble glycans in related biological fluids, used as analytes, aim to capture full complex biomarker picture, enabling its use in different clinical settings. Bringing together EVs and glycans can help to extract meaningful data from their extreme and distinct heterogeneities for use in the real-time diagnostics. The glycans on the surface of EVs could mark their subpopulations and establish the glycosignature, the solubilisation signature and molecular patterns. They all contribute to a new way of looking at and looking for composite biomarkers.