The invention relates to methods for diagnosis, monitoring progression, and treatment of neurodegenerative disorders. In particular, biomarkers for diagnosis, monitoring progression, and treatment of neurodegenerative disorders are provided. In some embodiments, methods for diagnosis, monitoring progression, and treatment of synucleinopathies and related disorders are provided.

A method for assisting the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease, including: measuring an amount of extracellular vesicles having phosphatidylserine and tetraspanin, or the amount of extracellular vesicles having phosphatidylserine and tetraspanin and an amount of extracellular vesicles having tetraspanin, in a biological specimen derived from a subject; and determining that the subject has Parkinson's disease using the amount of extracellular vesicles having phosphatidylserine and tetraspanin, or a ratio of the amount of extracellular vesicles having phosphatidylserine and tetraspanin to the amount of extracellular vesicles having tetraspanin as an indicator.

The present invention is to provide a method of exosome analysis that can analyze exosome in a sample in a simple manner. The method of exosome analysis of the present invention is a method of analyzing exosome in a sample, including: an addition step of adding a first antibody that specifically binds to a first antigen contained in the exosome and a second antibody that specifically binds to a second antigen contained in the exosome to the sample; a reaction step of causing the first antigen to be reacted with the first antibody and the second antigen to be reacted with the second antibody; and a detection step of detecting a reaction between the first antigen and the first antibody and a reaction between the second antigen and the second antibody.

As disclosed herein, the skin can dispatch signals to the brain in the form of exosomes, referred to herein as a “skin-brain axis.” Therefore, disclosed herein is a method for diagnosing a brain disease, disorder, or injury in a subject that involves isolating exosomes from the subject and assaying the exosomes for the presence of one or more biomarkers of the disease, disorder, or injury. Also disclosed are methods of treating a subject with a brain disease, disorder, or injury that involves engineering the skin of the subject to produce therapeutic exosomes. Also disclosed are methods of collecting skin-produced exosomes and loading them with therapeutic cargo that can treat one or more diseases, disorders, or injuries of the brain. Also disclosed herein is a method to reduce exosomal release from the skin to reducing trafficking to the brain.

Many samples (inorganic and organic) have magnetic properties. This adaptor which is comprised of an electromagnet and a sample holder (slide) can be directly mounted on a standard microscope (upright or inverted). The magnetic field is uniform across the sample and can be modified (due to the electromagnet design). The mount allows changing the field while simultaneously imaging the sample. Notably, the universality of the adaptor design will allow it to enable a wide range of investigations, impacting numerous fields.

The present disclosure provides assays for the detection and/or quantification of membrane-associated proteins, e.g., circulating CD20 (cCD20), incorporating an extracellular vesicle-based calibrator comprising the membrane-associated tumor antigen as well as the use of such assays in the detection and treatment of hyperproliferative disorders.

The invention provides a sensor (100) for sensing a predetermined particle (10) in a fluid (11), wherein the sensor (100) comprises (i) an electrode (110) and (ii) an recognition element (112), wherein the electrode (110) comprises an electrode face (111) configured accessible to the fluid (11), to the predetermined particle (10) in the fluid (11), and to a redox mediator (12) in the fluid (11); and wherein the recognition element (112) is configured to at least temporarily selectively bind with the predetermined particle (10), thereby limiting access of the redox mediator (12) to the electrode face (111) during the binding of the predetermined particle with the recognition element (112).

The analysis method for extracellular vesicles, according to the present invention, uses the size-specific separation ability of size exclusion chromatography and the properties of a probe that specifically binds with extracellular vesicles, and by using same is capable of the rapid and easy analysis of the quantity of extracellular vesicles included in a sample, analysis of the physicochemical properties of the extracellular vesicles, analysis of the kind and quantity of the components included in the extracellular vesicles, and analysis of the binding properties or affinity of the probe with respect to the components of the extracellular vesicles. In addition, using the analysis method of the present invention not only enables accurate analysis of extracellular vesicles in a sample, without a sample purification or pre-processing step, but also enables accurate and simple analysis of the components of extracellular vesicles, according to the kind of probe, and thus can improve the efficiency of diagnosis using extracellular vesicles. Also, analysis of the properties or affinity of the probe can be applied to, for example, extracellular vesicle-specific antibody screening, protein screening and chemical-substance screening.

Methods for producing engineered exosomes and other vesicle-like biological targets, including allowing a target vesicle-like structure to react and bind with immunomagnetic particles; capturing the immunomagnetic particle/vesicle complex by applying a magnetic field; further engineering the captured vesicles by surface modifying with additional active moieties or internally loading with active agents; and releasing the engineered vesicle-like structures, such as by photolytically cleaving a linkage between the particle and engineered vesicle-like structures, thereby releasing intact vesicle-like structures which can act as delivery vehicles for therapeutic treatments.

A sensor for liquid biopsy, its method of making, and its method of non-invasive use. The sensor includes a substrate with a surface functionalized with biotinylated antibodies. The biotinylated antibodies are arranged to engage with surface proteins on exosomes associated with malignant cancer cells such as glioma cells.