Wu Lab

Extracellular Vesicles

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are small, membrane-bound particles released by cells that play a crucial role in intercellular communication. EVs enter the circulation and carry vital information about the cell of origin. Because of this, they can serve as biomarkers of tissue damage and health, whether that be due to disease or environmental exposure. ​

The important cargo that EVs carry includes: proteins, lipids, and RNA. Our lab is developing techniques to isolate EVs that originate from specific tissues, such as the brain, lung, and liver. These tissue-specific EVs are particularly significant because they reflect the molecular signature of their parent cells, providing valuable insights into the specific functions and responses of these tissues. Because we can isolate EVs from small quantities of plasma, they can serve as precise and valuable non-invasive “liquid biopsies” of their parent cells, that capture early pathological changes in these tissues. ​

By studying tissue-specific EVs, we can uncover novel biomarkers for disease and track cellular changes over time due to environmental exposures. Our lab focuses on isolating and characterizing these vesicles to better understand their role in health, as well as the impact of environmental exposures on EVs. ​

 

Featured projects:​

  • Extracellular vesicles in Environmental Epidemiology Studies of Aging (R35)
    • The purpose of this project is to identify early biological responses to environmental exposures that are predictive of future health-related conditions, specially of the effects of air pollution on accelerated brain aging.
  • Impact of environmental toxicants on AD and ADRD risk in the Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes study AD/ADRD project
    • The goal of this prject is to prospectively examine the exposome, along with individual concentrations of multiple contaminants and their molecular mechanisms in relation to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and AD-related dementias(ADRD), leveraging the Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes Study (DPPOS)AD/ADRD project.​ This involves analysis of neuron-derived EV RNA as potential biomarkers of AD and ADRD.
  • Air Particulate Pollution and Stress: Effects and Mechanisms for Long-term Maternal Obesity Risks
    • The purpose of this project is to identify novel biomarkers that are associated with air pollution exposure and psychosocial stress to maternal postpartum obesity. The project utilizes the PROGRESS cohort based in Mexico and biospecimens are shipped to New York for EV-miRNA analyses.