Protocol for isolating leukemia-derived extracellular vesicles from the spleen of preclinical models of leukemia using ultracentrifugation

STAR Protoc. 2024 Sep 20;5(3):103244. doi: 10.1016/j.xpro.2024.103244. Epub 2024 Aug 5.

Abstract

Here, we present a protocol for the direct isolation of small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) from the spleen of preclinical murine models of leukemia using ultracentrifugation. We describe steps for tissue collection, sample preparation, ultracentrifugation-based isolation, and sEV characterization. This protocol allows for efficient enrichment of both leukemia and its microenvironment-derived sEV (LME-sEV), providing a valuable tool for studying their composition and functional roles. Potential applications include investigating the role of sEV in leukemia progression and identifying biomarkers. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Gargiulo et al.1.

Keywords: cancer; cell biology; cell separation/fractionation.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Extracellular Vesicles* / chemistry
  • Extracellular Vesicles* / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Leukemia* / pathology
  • Mice
  • Spleen* / cytology
  • Spleen* / metabolism
  • Spleen* / pathology
  • Ultracentrifugation* / methods