Characterization of Lung Allograft-derived Extracellular Vesicles and their Role in Graft Injury

Post-transplant acute lung injuries result in part from injuries sustained in the donor. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membrane-bound particles released by most cell types. They contain protein and RNA molecules which may play diagnostic and functional roles. We propose that pre-transplantation EVs released by donor lungs reflect the condition of the lung. Here, we report that that fluid recovered after perfusion of donor lungs contain EVs with canonical EV protein markers like CD9, CD81 and CD63. In lungs declined for transplantation, EV-associated CD63 and CD31, an endothelial adhesion marker, were found to be elevated, with an accompanying decrease in CD9. Though inconclusive, these markers may also reflect the degree of acute lung injury in transplant recipients. Next, we aim to characterize the RNA cargo of perfusate EVs in relation to the presence and degree of lung injury after transplantation. Thus, these findings will provide an insight to the potential diagnostic and functional role of EVs in post-transplant lung allograft injury.M.Sc