Engineering Extracellular Vesicles for Drug Delivery, Bio-Imaging and Therapy

• Applicant: Dr. Ulrike Kauscher
• Subject Area: Pharmacy ; Biochemistry ; Biological and Biomimetic Chemistry ; Biomaterials
• Term: from 2016 to 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 319069186

• Final Report Year: 2019

Final Report Abstract

In the frame of this project we have isolated and analysed EVs from a non-adherent cell line. We also synthesized and characterized AuNCs. These two components, EVs and AuNCs, were then self-assembled with the help of surfactant saponin into supraparticles. Furthermore, we also formed supraparticles without EVs. Afterwards we analysed the uptake of these supraparticles with and without EVs into the EV parental cell line. We showed with the help of these AuNCs, which have a high contract in electron microscopy, how these supraparticles are taken up and in detail and which influence the EV component has on the uptake. Moreover, this is the first time these complex self-assembled AuNC EV supraparticles have been reported and their uptake has been evaluated. This new adaptive supramolecular biomaterial describes a way to bring together the best of both worlds: the biocompatibility of EVs and the versatility of metal nanoparticles. We showed in a proof of concept with Quantum Dots, that the formed supraparticles can also be assembled with other hydrophobic nanoparticles of the same size. This opens the door for a new kind of easily synthesized biomaterials promising for the use in drug delivery and biomedical imaging.

Publications

• “A robust liposomal platform for direct colorimetric detection of sphingomyelinase enzyme and inhibitors”. ACS Nano, 2018, 12(8), 8197-8207
  Holme, M.N.; Rana, S.; Barriga, H.M.G.; Kauscher, U., Brooks, N.J.; Stevens, M.M.
  (See online at https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.8b03308)
• “Physical stimuli-responsive vesicle in drug delivery: beyond liposomes and polymersomes”. ADDR, 2018, 138, 259
  Kauscher, U., Holme, M. N.; Björnmalm, M.; Stevens, M. M.
  (See online at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addr.2018.10.012)
• “Single particle automated Raman trapping analysis.” Nature Communications, 2018, 9, 4256
  Penders, J.; Pence, I.; Horgan, C.; Bergholt M.S.; Wood, C.S.; Najer, A.; Kauscher, U.; Nagelkerke, A.; Stevens, M. M.
  (See online at https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-06397-6)
• “Effect of Formulation Method, Lipid Composition and PEGylation on Vesicle Lamellarity: A Small-Angle Neutron Scattering Study”. Langmuir, 2019, 35(18), 6064
  Nele, V., Holme, M. N.; Kauscher, U.; Thomas, M. R.; Doutch, J. J.; Stevens, M. M
  (See online at https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.8b04256)