LINK BETWEEN LEVELS OF EXTRACELLULAR VESICLES OR EVS IN THE BLOOD AND TISSUE DAMAGE CAUSED BY DISEASES Cellular couriers: Body’s ‘delivery trucks’ could lead to new cancer blood test
With
Dr Georgia Atkin-Smith, Senior Postdoctoral researcher and NHMRC Investigator Grant Research Fellow, WEHI, Melbourne, Australia
Associate Professor Edwin Hawkins, Laboratory Head, WEHI, Melbourne, Australia
CASE STUDY
Filmed in Melbourne | March 2025
A landmark study led by WEHI and La Trobe University has found a potential new diagnostic marker that could be used to better detect the level of tissue damage in our bodies.
This study revealed, for the first time, a link between levels of EVs in the blood and tissue damage caused by diseases such as leukaemia.
Researchers hope to leverage the critical new insight to develop a blood test to monitor cancer patients with tissue damage, which could, in future, enhance treatment strategies for blood cancers and other diseases.
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are like small delivery trucks in the human body that are dispatched by our cells to distribute important materials like proteins, fats and genetic information to other cells.
This delivery system helps cells communicate with each other, especially when they are under stress or dying.
Research into how EVs form and their link to disease progression is challenging because of their small size, with most studies restricted to a ‘cells-in-a-dish’ approach.
In an unprecedented study, researchers were able to overcome this significant barrier by imaging live EVs inside the bone marrow of mice.
The study involved a significant collaboration with Professor Ivan Poon, Director of the La Trobe Research Centre for Extracellular Vesicles (RCEV) – the largest group of EV researchers in the Southern Hemisphere.
The WEHI research team is now assessing whether EVs can be used as a biomarker in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients. They hope to develop new tools and techniques that would allow clinicians to determine the impact of disease on healthy tissue, and assess the disease progression by analysing patient samples.
The study, published in Nature Communications Oct 2024, also involved collaborations with the University of Melbourne, The Florey, Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Monash University.
The research was supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council, Australian Research Council, CASS Foundation, Jack Brockhoff Foundation, L’Oreal UNESCO For Women in Science, Victorian Cancer Agency, a Sir Clive McPherson Family Fellowship and a Rae Foundation grant.
Source: WEHI News
-
Investigating invasive lobular carcinoma and metaplastic breast cancer sub-types
Assoc Prof McCart Reed is the scientific lead on an MRFF-funded (Medical Research Future Fund) genomics program investigating the potential for the application of Whole Genome Sequencing in the breast cancer care pathway in Australia, ‘Q-IMPROvE’. She applies genomics and spatial transcriptomics methodologies to archival clinical samples to understand the differences between tumour types and their potential for treatment. Amy is passionate about clinical research, biobanking and precision oncology. In addition to her breast cancer research portfolio, she is on the steering committee for the Brisbane Breast Bank and the Scientific Advisory Board for Breast Cancer Trials.
-
Public health and research into Ear, Nose and Throat conditions
Associate Professor Paul Paddle is an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) surgeon, head and neck surgeon with fellowship training in Laryngology – Voice, airway and Swallowing disorders. Working at Monash Health and Monash Children’s hospital, Paul has extensive experience managing a wide range of paediatric ENT conditions, from neonates to adolescents. He is also an active researcher in paediatric obstructive sleep apnoea and sleep disorders.
-
Stem cells used for age-related macular degeneration
Dr. Jenna Hall is a passionate and accomplished biologist with expertise in induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) culture, disease modelling, and high-throughput automated systems. She recently earned her PhD from the University of Melbourne, where her research focused on using iPSC-derived retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells to study age-related macular degeneration. Dr Hall’s technical skillset spans manual and automated cell reprogramming and differentiation, quantitative microscopy-based phenotyping, and large scale -omics analysis.
