The Characterization of Inflammatory Extracellular Vesicles

One of the driving factors behind innate immunity is the early response of inflammation. While beneficial in controlling infections, when uncontrolled it can lead to a plethora of disorders. Thus, it is essential to understand the driving factors behind inflammation. a cell\u27s ability to recycle, discard, or transfer proteins is integral for survival and intercellular communication. It has been appreciated that inflammatory components, such as caspase-1, play a huge role in driving protein secretion. Thus, inflammation also plays a role in the distribution of proteins released from cells. These proteins are released via non-conventional secretory pathways, and our lab is interested in the pathways associated with extracellular vesicle (EV) release. Here, we provide an imaging-based approach for analyzing and quantifying EVs released from cells. Cementing a strong foundation for characterizing EVs will allow us to further navigate the ever-increasing roles these vesicles play in numerous avenues of biology