Researchers at the University of Tokyo have developed a groundbreaking CRISPR-based barcoding system to study small extracellular vesicles (sEVs), nanosized particles crucial in intercellular communication and disease progression. The system uses CRISPR gene-editing technology to introduce RNA barcodes into sEVs, allowing thousands of genes to be analyzed simultaneously in a single pooled experiment. CIBER (CRISPR-assisted individually barcoded extracellular vesicle-based release regulator) offers detailed insights into sEV subpopulations, enabling more efficient and comprehensive studies than conventional methods. This innovation opens new pathways for sEV-based diagnostics and therapeutic applications.
