Analysis of the volatile organic compounds emitted by extracellular vesicles for disease diagnosis

Project Information

VOLATEVS

Grant agreement ID: 101086360

DOI

10.3030/101086360

EC signature date 10 October 2022

Start date 1 November 2022

End date 31 October 2026

Funded under

• Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)

Total cost

No data

EU contribution

€ 1 025 800,00

Coordinated by

EESTI MAAULIKOOL
Estonia

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - VOLATEVS (Analysis of the volatile organic compounds emitted by extracellular vesicles for disease diagnosis)

Reporting period: 2022-11-01 to 2024-10-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

This project aims to investigate the potential of analysing the volatile organic compounds emitted by extracellular vesicles as an innovative approach for disease diagnostic.
The extracellular vesicles are particles naturally released from cells, which can be found in many biological samples. They have the capacity to transfer information to other cells and influence recipient cell function.
In this project, extracellular vesicles will be isolated from different biological samples, such as cancer cells, serum and urine.
The results obtained in this project will ultimately allow assessing if the volatile organic compounds emitted by extracellular vesicles can provide additional information for disease diagnosis complementing the analysis of the biological samples from which they are extracted.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The main achievements of the project during the 1st reporting period are the elaboration of the protocols for extracellular vesicles isolation and characterisation, and for the analysis of the volatiles emitted by extracellular vesicles employing the gas chromatography mass spectrometry and vibrational spectroscopy techniques. Based on these protocols, extracellular vesicles were isolated from different cell lines and urine samples. Gas chromatography analysis of the volatiles emitted by extracellular vesicles isolated from various cell lines and urine samples were performed, as well as preliminary ATR-FTIR measurements of the volatiles released by the extracellular vesicles isolated from a cell line and urine samples. Sensor substrates of various configurations were designed and fabricated, and different sensing nanomaterials (organically-capped gold nanoparticles, conducting polymers combined with porphyrins) were deposited and characterised. An electronic nose system comprising an array of ten gas sensors based on conducting polymers combined with porphyrins was fabricated and employed for the analysis of the volatile compounds emitted by the extracellular vesicles isolated from various cell lines. Algorithms for automatic chromatographic peak detection and matching, and for the detection of overlapping FTIR signals, were developed.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

1. Proof-of-concept demonstration of the suitability of the analysis of the volatile compounds emitted by extracellular vesicles with analytical, vibrational spectroscopy and electronic nose systems - Impact: Implementation of a new research line in volatolomics analysis applied to the extracellular vesicles field.
2. Assessment of the analysis of the volatile compounds emitted by the extracellular vesicles isolated from various cell lines as a new tool in disease diagnosis - Impact: Possibility of development of a new diagnostic tool for cancer diaagnosis.