Warmest congratulations are due to Chengcheng Xu, who has been distinguished by the Technical University of Munich with the Best Thesis award for her outstanding MSci research.
Chengcheng dedicated half a year in the deMello group to the development of a diagnostic platform. The focus of her research was on small extracellular vesicles (EVs), which are microscopic, lipid-enclosed particles discharged by cells. These EVs, serving as crucial conduits for cellular communication, carry a diverse array of molecular content, ranging from proteins and lipids to multiple RNA types.
In the realm of cancer research, emerging evidence points to the role of these EVs in the progression and spread of cancer. Cancer cells appear to co-opt these vesicles to communicate with and modify their cellular environment, effectively enabling tumour growth and possibly even paving the way for metastasis through EV-carried molecular signals.
Chengcheng's pioneering work leverages this novel understanding of EVs for the objective of cancer diagnosis. By creating a diagnostic platform that can reliably detect and scrutinise these EVs, we anticipate gaining crucial insights into not only the presence, but also the advancement of cancer. Importantly, this could provide us the advantage of detecting cancer potentially earlier than conventional diagnostic methods allow.
We extend our sincere admiration to Chengcheng for her work!