Scientists found a new way to read the hidden messages cells send to each other

A new approach to reading cellular communication reframes what signals matter in extracellular vesicles. Instead of tallying protein amounts, researchers measure how often two proteins ride in the same vesicle, creating a co-enrichment score that remains stable despite fluctuating protein levels. Led by McGill University’s David Juncker, the team used antibody-coated chips to read multiple protein pairs at once, revealing meaningful relationships even when overall amounts vary. In initial tests, they confirmed a known handoff where a surface protein binds a helper that carries a third protein, with about 1.6 copies of the third protein per helper. They then disrupted cellular recycling, observing dozens of reroutings and shifts in cargo loading, highlighting the method’s sensitivity to cellular stress.