Method for detecting and quantifying exosomes

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for detecting and/or quantifying exosomes in a sample. The method of the invention comprises the steps of: providing a sample that is known to comprise or suspected of comprising exosomes; contacting a binding agent that specifically binds to the membrane of extracellular vesicles with the sample; and detecting and/or quantifying exosomes by flow cytometry and/or super-resolution microscopy, fluorometer, luminometer and optionally isolating exosomes. The binding agent comprises a label and a phosphatidylethanolamine-binding lantibiotic. The present invention further pertains to methods for detecting and/or diagnosing cancer and virus infections, methods for monitoring tumor growth or virus diseases, methods for quantifying and/or qualifying tumor-related exosomes, and to kits comprising binding agents and instructions for carrying out the methods.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.