EVs as diagnostic tool in the phenotypic determination of lung tumors

Immunotherapy has been one of the significant advances in recent years for the treatment of advanced tumors. We aim to determine whether extracellular vesicles (EVs) are adequate and appropriate tools for detecting and blocking immune checkpoints proteins (ICPs). We developed a method for tracing tumor content via an analysis of EV surface makers in the bloodstream of patients using the MAGPIX platform. We will use this technology to monitor the ICP-EV profile in patients undergoing immunotherapeutic treatment.
Second, EVs will be used as a drug carriers to restore immunity. EVs will be modified to transfer small interfering RNAs (siRNA) targeting programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1). We have already studied the effects of blocking PD-L1 by transfections in cancer cells. PD-L1 downregulation affects the pro-tumoral properties of lung cancer cells. As the first preliminary results, we observed a decrease of PD-L1 in target cells treated with Cargo-EXO. Next, the function of the treatment on tumor progression will be studied in vivo by injecting Cargo-EV in two different models (TC-1 and LLC).