Functional analysis of exosomes derived from EBV-infected cells

Exosomes are diverse bioactive extracellular nanovesicles excreted by different cell types. These tiny membrane- bound vesicles, once thought to be functionally insignificant, are now believed to be important vehicles for transport and intercellular communication. Exosomes have been shown to contain a broad range of molecules, from miRNAs to proteins to soluble factors. Moreover, an accumulating body of evidence indicates that some viruses can hijack the exosomal excretory pathway to influence the microenvironment surrounding the infected cells. In this chapter, we describe the protocols we use to examine the impact of exosomes isolated from EBV-infected cells on different cell types.