# Acoustofluidic Separation (AFS), Purification and Raman Spectral Fingerprinting of Single EVs: From Cell of Origin to Target Cell and Biofluids

> **NIH NIH UH3** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES · 2021 · $893,934

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract:
 This UG3/UH3 application is responsive to the NIH Common Fund initiative RFA-RM-18-028 “Advancing
Extracellular RNA (exRNA) Communication Research: Towards Single Extracellular Vesicle (EV) Sorting,
Isolation, and Analysis of Cargo”. This proposal is built on a foundation of a 5-year NIH Common Fund
“Extracellular RNA Communication Consortium Stage 1 (ERCC1)” project to develop salivary exRNA biomarkers
for gastric cancer detection where a panel of highly discriminatory salivary extracellular RNA (exRNAs) have
been developed (discovered and definitively validated) for gastric cancer, scientifically and translationally
credentialed salivary exRNA for systemic disease detection.
 This ERCC Stage 2 project is to develop an innovative technology, AcoustoFluidic Separation (AFS) coupling
with Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS), towards single EV isolation and to characterize exRNA
cargos associated with specific EV subpopulations based on the cells of origin, intended target cells and biolfuids.
 Eight Specific Aims with twelve quantitative milestones in two phases (UG3, UH3) are in place to test the
central hypothesis that exosomes are the EV from gastric cancer tissue/cells of origin harboring the nine
validated discriminatory salivary exRNA biomarkers, transported through vasculature, homing into salivary
glands (target organ) and into saliva. Four Specific Aims in the UG3 Phase are to develop the AFS technology
as a standard operating procedure (SOP) for rigor and reproducibility (Aim 1); SERS development for EV
fingerprinting and co-localization of exRNA targets to singe EV (Aim 2); two independent “Rigor and
Reproducibility Labs (R&R Labs)” to evaluate the AFS SOP (Aim 3) and approaches to share strategies,
protocols, tools with broader scientific community with DMRR (Aim 4). In the UH3 Phase four Specific Aims are
in place to optimize, refine and scale up the AFS SOP (Aim 5); perform sorting, tracking of validated salivary
exRNA biomarkers for gastric cancer detection from cells of origin, to blood, to salivary glands and to saliva (Aim
6); “R&R Labs” to optimize AFS to other human biofluids (Aim 7) and approaches to share strategies, protocols,
tools with broader scientific community with DMRR (Aim 8).
 Completing these Aims and goals based on the outcome of the ERCC1 project is logical and highly impactful
as the outcomes of the ERCC2 project will deliver a set of novel technologies, AFS in tandem with SERC, for
rapid, high yield (6X over current technologies) and single EV level isolation for salivary biomarker development
for systemic disease detection. These will constitute the foundation of “exRNA Saliva Liquid Biopsy (exRNA-
SLB)” where the diagnostic and therapeutic functionality of exRNAs can be fully realized when the range of EV
subpopulations from a given cell source can be characterized and analyzed for molecular cargos.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10357985
- **Project number:** 4UH3TR002978-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES
- **Principal Investigator:** Ji Yeong  An
- **Activity code:** UH3 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $893,934
- **Award type:** 4N
- **Project period:** 2019-09-05 → 2023-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10357985

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10357985, Acoustofluidic Separation (AFS), Purification and Raman Spectral Fingerprinting of Single EVs: From Cell of Origin to Target Cell and Biofluids (4UH3TR002978-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10357985. Licensed CC0.

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