"Just One Drop of Blood, 10 Minutes Is Enough"... Korean Researchers Develop Ultrafast Diagnostic Platform for Vascular Diseases

Asan Medical Center and DGIST Research Team Develop Ultra-Fast Extracellular Vesicle Molecular Diagnostic Platform
"Platform Expected to Enable Rapid Diagnosis for Emergency Patients and Precision Medicine for Vascular Diseases"

A domestic research team has developed an ultrafast diagnostic platform capable of analyzing molecular signals related to vascular diseases in just about 10 minutes using only a single drop of plasma.

From the left, Junyeop Lee, Professor of Ophthalmology at Seoul Asan Medical Center, and Sunki Hong, Professor of Chemistry and Physics at DGIST. Seoul Asan Medical Center

The joint research team of Junyeop Lee, Professor of Ophthalmology at Seoul Asan Medical Center, and Sunki Hong, Professor of Chemistry and Physics at DGIST, announced on the 18th that they have developed a platform (SAFE) that can directly detect microRNAs in plasma within approximately 10 minutes, without the need for separately isolating extracellular vesicles (EVs) or extracting microRNAs.

The results of this study have been published as the cover article in the latest issue of "Small" (impact factor 11.8), a world-renowned academic journal in the fields of nanoscience and biomaterials.

Extracellular vesicles are tiny particles, measuring tens to hundreds of nanometers (nm), secreted by cells. Since they contain disease-related proteins, nucleic acids, and microRNAs (miRNAs), they have recently attracted attention as a key biomarker for next-generation liquid biopsy. However, traditional analysis methods have limitations due to the lengthy process of isolating extracellular vesicles and extracting RNA, which require specialized equipment and extend overall analysis time.

To address these issues, the research team developed a technique that uses ultrasound to rapidly fuse liposomes and extracellular vesicles. By delivering molecular beacons (nucleic acid molecules) into the interior of extracellular vesicles, the team was able to directly detect microRNAs without a separate RNA extraction process, completing the analysis within about 10 minutes.

Furthermore, to verify the platform's clinical applicability, the research team analyzed plasma from 20 patients with cardiovascular disease and 15 healthy individuals. As a result, the SAFE platform successfully detected representative microRNAs associated with myocardial injury—miR-133a and miR-208a—with high diagnostic accuracy rates of approximately 91.4%.

The research team explained that utilizing this technology in medical settings such as emergency rooms, where rapid decision-making is crucial, could enable the quick screening of vascular diseases. They also noted the potential for expanding this extracellular vesicle-based molecular diagnostic technology to a wide range of diseases, including not only cardiovascular disease but also cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, and ophthalmologic diseases.

This study was selected as the cover article of the latest issue of "Small," a world-renowned academic journal in the field of nanoscience. Seoul Asan Medical Center

Professor Junyeop Lee stated, "We have continually demonstrated that analyzing microRNAs within extracellular vesicles in various retinal vascular diseases, including macular degeneration, plays a significant role in predicting disease mechanisms and treatment responses. We expect that the SAFE platform will provide substantial support in rapidly and accurately diagnosing patient conditions and aiding clinical decision-making in real-world practice."

Professor Sunki Hong said, "The SAFE platform is a convenient molecular diagnostic technology that allows direct analysis of microRNAs from plasma without isolating extracellular vesicles or extracting RNA. We will continue to expand clinical validation for various diseases, striving to further develop this next-generation diagnostic platform for application in healthcare settings."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.