Grant Award Details
- To develop cell-free immunomodulatory therapeutics based on iPSC-EVs and develop a hydrogel delivery platform to enable a prolonged and controlled release of immunomodulatory EVs.
Grant Application Details
- iPSC Extracellular Vesicles for Diabetes Therapy
Research Objective
We will derive extracellular vesicles (EVs) from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), characterize the content and immunomodulatory activity of EVs, and deliver iPSC-EVs to treat Type-1 diabetes.
Impact
Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease and there is no therapy to preserve islet cells. Accomplishment of this project will generate a new therapeutic modality for T1D treatment.
Major Proposed Activities
- EV isolation, characterization and reproducibility
- Scaling up EV production in a bioreactor
- Analysis of iPSC EV content and identification of the components for EV quality control
- Development of a hydrogel delivery platform for EV delivery and prolonged presentation
- In vitro assessment of immunomodulatory properties of EVs and development of in vitro functional assay
- Evaluation of safety and immunomodulatory properties of iPSC EVs in vivo in T1D mouse models
Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease characterized by the destruction of insulin-producing beta cells by patient’s own immune cells. This project aims to develop cell-free immunomodulatory therapeutics based on the extracellular vesicles (EVs) secreted by induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to treat T1D. This project will develop a new therapeutic modality for the treatment of T1D and autoimmune diseases, and will benefit our citizens and healthcare in California and beyond.