Unmet Need:
Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), and neurons differentiated from them, have been a powerful tool for modeling neuronal pathophysiologies and preclinical efficacy/toxicity screening of novel therapeutic compounds. However, these cells cultured in vitro typically do not fully recapitulate the physiology of the human nervous system, especially in terms of accurately recreating the longevity, morphological maturation, and electrochemical signaling ability of human neurons. Microvesicles released from cells are known to serve as one of the fundamental means of intercellular communication. Proteins, lipids, and microRNAs are the main components of the microvesicle cargo, and have been shown to modulate major cellular behaviors in neurons via control of gene expression, differentiation, maturation and response to the injury. There is a strong need for new biological research tools that harness microvesicle versatility to deliver payloads that closely recapitulate human physiology and lead to the development of new effective therapies.
Technology Overview:
Johns Hopkins researchers have developed an extracellular vesicle-mediated treatment to enhance neuronal survival and electrophysiological functionality. This extracellular vesicle-mediated neuronal maturation technology will enable more effective human nerve tissue modeling in vitro, as well as having applications in clinical treatments for combatting inveterate central and peripheral neuropathies.
Stage of Development:
Evaluation of different glial cells for extracellular vesicle production and therapeutic benefits for various neuropathic disorders on-going.
Publication:
-N/A
