‘Wetsuit’ solution for safe and effective nanomedicine
Extracellular vesicles are tiny particles – between 50 and 1 000 nanometres in size – that cells produce to communicate with each other. “You can think of them as tiny delivery packages sent between cells, carrying important biological messages like proteins and genetic material,” says BOW project coordinator Paolo Bergese from the University of Brescia and the Center for Colloid and Surface Science in Italy. “These vesicles play key roles in both healthy body functions and disease processes.”
Applying extracellular vesicles to nanomedicine
The EU-funded BOW project was inspired by this world of extracellular vesicles to address a key challenge in nanomedicine. Scientists are increasingly interested in harnessing nanoparticles for specific medical purposes, such as the delivery of drugs directly to specific cells. One issue however is ensuring that these nanoparticles are not rejected by the body’s immune system. “While synthetic nanoparticles have great potential in medicine, they often face problems like toxicity,” explains Bergese. “Our idea was to ‘dress’ these nanoparticles in a biological ‘wetsuit’ made from extracellular vesicle fabric – namely the membrane that encloses extracellular vesicles – allowing them to ‘safely surf the bloodstream’ without being attacked or cleared too quickly.” To achieve this, researchers first produced and studied extracellular vesicles from human and algae cells. Next, they created superparamagnetic nanoparticles, which exceptionally respond to magnetic fields and are studied for clinical uses in bioimaging and in magnetic hyperthermia therapy (a way to destroy tumours without surgery). A special microfluidic device was then developed to wrap these nanoparticles in extracellular vesicle membranes, creating hybrid nanodevices. Scientists tested these new hybrid particles in lab experiments and animals to evaluate their safety and effectiveness.
Coating nanoparticles with natural membranes
The project achieved several successful outcomes, including the production of hybrid nanoparticles with a protective biological membrane. This was shown to reduce their toxicity. The microfluidic system was also shown to improve the efficiency of creating these hybrid particles. “We demonstrated that these hybrids could potentially be used in medicine, particularly for treating lung diseases like pulmonary fibrosis,” adds Bergese. “We also built new tools for studying these nanoparticles, making future research easier and more reliable.” The long-term goal now is to achieve safer and more effective treatments for diseases by improving how medicines are delivered in the body. “By coating nanoparticles with natural membranes, we can make them more biocompatible, reducing side effects and increasing their ability to target the right cells,” explains Bergese. “Additionally, the advances made in this project could support the development of better drug delivery systems in other areas of medicine.”
Scaling up hybrid nanoparticle production
To bring this technology closer to real-world applications, researchers now need to scale up production of the hybrid nanoparticles to meet industry standards. Further testing is also needed to ensure safety and effectiveness in humans. The project team intends to continue working with industry partners to make the technology marketable, and finally bring it to patients. “This project lays the foundation for a new type of nanotechnology that blends biogenic and synthetic nanoparticles,” says Bergese. “The success of this project also strengthens European leadership in biomedical research, potentially leading to new medical breakthroughs and economic growth in biotechnology.”
Keywords
BOW, nanoparticles, nanomedicine, membrane, extracellular, vesicles, biotechnology
