Project R-15363

Hybrid extracellular vesicle-coated responsive nanocarriers for targeted stroke therapy (Research)

Stroke is a devastating neurological condition caused by loss of brain tissue due to interrupted or severely impaired blood flow to the brain. With 101.5 million global cases yearly, stroke is the leading cause of adult disability and second leading cause of mortality. In ischemic stroke, 85% of all stroke cases, only 7-13% of patients are eligible for the available treatments, with residual neurological impairments in most. In this project, I provide an alternative or add-on stroke therapy aimed at a larger patient population. To this end, biopolymeric nanocarriers (NCs) loaded with an antiinflammatory drug will be made responsive to the stroke environment to enable controlled drug release. To promote specific biodistribution and enhance biocompatibility, I will coat the NCs with extracellular vesicles derived from dental pulp stem cells or macrophages, to form so-called nanohybrids. The biological activity and therapeutic efficacy of nanohybrids will be tested in vitro, and in ex vivo and in vivo stroke models . My project will result in the development of a hybrid EVcoated responsive NCs, leading to major advancement in controlled and efficacious drug delivery.

01 November 2024 - 31 October 2028