A research group led by Project Associate Professor Naohiro Seo and Professor Takanori Ichiki of the Graduate School of Engineering at the University of Tokyo has systematically organized the relationship between the surface charge of extracellular vesicles (EVs) and membrane lipid composition, which consists of combinations of lipids that form the cell membrane. They demonstrated that these factors are key determinants of EV function.
EVs have attracted considerable attention as nanoscale particles responsible for intercellular communication, and research toward medical applications is actively progressing. However, reliable indicators for evaluating their quality have not yet been fully established. In this review, the researchers showed that differences in surface charge between exosomes and cell membrane–derived EVs arise from the asymmetric distribution of phospholipids. They also proposed a framework for integrative understanding of the physicochemical properties and biological functions of EVs.
These findings are expected to contribute to clarifying classification criteria for EVs, as well as to the establishment of standardized quality evaluation methods, thereby supporting quality assurance and functional design in EV-based pharmaceuticals and medical technologies, where unified standards have yet to be established.
Papers
Journal: ACS Nano Medicine
Title: Negative surface charge and membrane lipid composition underlying extracellular vesicle function
Authors: Naohiro Seo, Takanori Ichiki
DOI: 10.1021/acsnanomed.5c00108