Technical Name Precision nano-vesicle therapy: Missile-like extracellular vesicles attack on infectious microbes
Project Operator National Cheng Kung University
Project Host 徐瑋萱
Summary
Establish human gut ecosystem simulator for dynamically culturing gut microbiome. Probiotic extracellular vesicles (EV) are used as natural nanocarrier to target pathogen and deliver specific RNAs to treat infection. EV target different tissues after oral administration, effectively inhibiting C. difficile proliferation and virulence without affecting other gut microbiota. The method offers high safety, low cost, high yield, and net-zero emissions, demonstrating significant commercial potential.
Scientific Breakthrough
Developed specific probiotic-derived extracellular vesicles (EV) carry active substances with targeted properties. EV travel from gut to specific organs for precision medicine. Specific lipids on EV bilayer membrane selectively enter pathogens, releasing small RNAs to disrupt growth and toxin gene, preventing infection. EV target pathogens without affecting other gut microbiota, offering high biocompatibility, low immunogenicity, high safety, ease of industrialization, and cost-effectiveness.
Industrial Applicability
We develop specific probiotics that secrete natural nano-vesicles (extracellular vesicles) into culture medium. These vesicles are effective in both lab-scale preparations and commercial fermentation, with commercial production yielding higher quantities. This shows that during large-scale probiotic production, these nano-vesicles can be efficiently isolated from waste culture medium without extra production steps. This method offers high concentration, low cost, and achieves net-zero emissions.
Keyword probiotics lactic acid bacteria extracellular vesicles nanoparticles gut microbiota precision Medicine targeted drug delivery Clostridioides difficile infection drug delivery carrier simulator of human intestinal microbial ecosystem
  • Contact
  • Wei-Hsuan Hsu