ABSTRACT
Exosomes, first isolated 30 years ago, are nanoscale vesicles shed by most types of cells. The nucleic acid rich content of these nanoparticles, floating in virtually all bodily fluids, has great potential for non-invasive molecular diagnostics and may represent a novel therapeutic delivery system. However, current isolation techniques such as ultracentrifugation are not convenient and do not result in high purity isolation. This represents an interesting challenge for microfluidic technologies, from a cost-effective perspective as well as for enhanced purity capabilities, and point-of-care acquisition and diagnosis. In this frontier review, we present the current challenges, comment the first microfluidic advances in this new field and propose a roadmap for future developments. This review enables biologists and clinicians familiar with exosome enrichment to assess the performance of novel microfluidic devices and, equally, enables microfluidic engineers to educate themselves about this new class of promising biomarker-rich particles and the challenges arising from their clinical use.
Subject(s)
Exosomes , Microfluidic Analytical Techniques , Blood Cells/cytology , Cell Fractionation , Equipment Design , Humans , Microfluidic Analytical Techniques/instrumentation , Microfluidic Analytical Techniques/methods , Models, BiologicalABSTRACT
Temporal and concentration dependences of the effect of the new synthetic gestagen 17alpha-acetoxy-3beta-butanoyloxy-6-methyl-pregna-4,6-dien-20-one (ABMP) and reference glucocorticoids (dexamethasone and hydrocortisone) and progesterone on the proliferative activity of rat skin fibroblasts were examined using the MTT assay. The results demonstrated that ABMP along with glucocorticoids produced an antiproliferative action against fibroblasts, with the maximum (38%) suppression of the metabolic activity of cells observed after 5-day incubation at a drug concentration of 10(-5) M.
Subject(s)
Cell Proliferation/drug effects , Fibroblasts/metabolism , Glucocorticoids/pharmacology , Progestins/pharmacology , Skin/metabolism , Animals , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Fibroblasts/cytology , Rats , Skin/cytologyABSTRACT
The effects of a new synthetic gestagen 17alpha-acetoxy-3beta-butanoyloxy-6-methyl-pregna-4,6-dien-20-on (ABMP) and reference drug progesterone on rat skin fibroblasts were evaluated by variations in lysosomal enzyme activity (cathepsin D and beta-glucosidase). Our results suggest that ABMP exhibits lysosomotropic properties, which depended on its concentration and time of treatment. The direct effect of progesterone on lysosomal enzyme activity in skin fibroblasts was compared to the influence of systemic treatment with gestagens on skin lysosomes. The data indicate that local application of gestagen preparations holds much promise for the therapy of skin diseases accompanied by increased proliferation (e.g. psoriasis).
