Isolation and characterization of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii extracellular vesicles

Abstract

Research into extracellular vesicles (EVs) gained significant traction in the past decade and EVs have been investigated in a wide variety of studies ranging from basic biology to diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Since EVs are secreted by most, if not all, eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells, they have been detected in body fluids as diverse as blood, urine and saliva as well as in cell culture media. In this chapter, we will provide an overview of EV isolation and characterization strategies and highlight their advantages and disadvantages.