Development of an image profiling method for high- throughput single extracellular vesicle analysis

5-ALA (5-aminolevulinic acid) administration for positioning tumor tissues in craniotomy is growing since the FDA approval has already passed in June 2017 [1]. This may also open a path to the convenient single extracellular vesicle (EV) analysis in liquid biopsy for tracking and analyzing the tumor-derived EVs with PPIX expression, the middle byproduct upon the oral intake of 5-ALA. 5-ALA-based fluorescence is due to preferential accumulation of the fluorophore protoporphyrin-IX (PpIX) in the malignant glioma tissue. Single EV analysis has become technically feasible and promising in studies of early cancer diagnosis and clinical translational medicine applications [2]. It can minimize the heterogenous issue between EVs once capturing a group of low percentage biomarker-positive EVs. There is a need to scale up and implement an easy-to-use single EV analysis platform to be organized into the routine practices of current research and clinical laboratories to enable early cancer diagnostics. We are combining the 5-ALA dyed EV samples with single EV detection method to establish a more efficient and precise approach for patient’s early cancer diagnosis.