New Insights into Extracellular Vesicles of Clinical and Therapeutic Interest Using Proteomic Mass Spectrometry Approaches

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are secreted by almost all cell types. In recent years, numerous studies have demonstrated their value both as biomarkers and as regenerative therapies in various diseases. Given the complex structure of these vesicles, efficient isolation and characterization methods need to be developed. In this context, mass spectrometry-based proteomics is an interesting tool for better understanding the composition of EVs. Recent advances in mass spectrometry, such as the development of data-independent acquisition or isobaric labelling strategies, enhance proteome coverage, quantitative performances and throughput of proteomic studies carried out on EVs. This review focuses on recent proteomic studies on EVs performed to compare different isolation methods, to investigate their potential as biomarkers but also to explore their regenerative properties. On the basis of these studies, EVs are likely to play a key role in the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic tools although challenges remain before their clinical use.