You work on EVs, but they are not electric vehicles – can you explain?
I work on extracellular vesicles, also called EVs or exosomes, which are tiny biological nanoparticles secreted by cells in the body.
Cells send them out as little bubbles filled with molecules of RNA, proteins and lipids. These packages, or EVs, can enter the bloodstream, and this lets them move to other parts of the body, where they can deliver their cargo of messages. So these tiny EVs play a crucial role in how cells talk to each other and send signals around the body.
How did you first become interested in studying these EVs?
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I research in the area of regenerative medicine, where we look for new ways to support the body to repair and heal after injury or illness. At first, my research looked at a type of stem cell that comes from bone marrow, called mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs).
Many people around the world are looking at these cells as a form of therapy. But as we delved deeper with the research, we could see that a lot of the therapeutic benefits of MSCs are actually mediated by the EVs they secrete. So my research has moved towards exploring EVs and how to harness them.
What’s the benefit of using EVs rather than stem cells?
Our idea is to grow the stem cells in a lab or specialised facility and collect the EVs they produce, then deliver those EVs as therapy into the body. The stem cells can keep on producing EVs over time, so you potentially get a lot more therapeutic effect out of each cell compared to directly delivering the cell therapy into the body. EVs are also much easier to store compared with cells, so logistically they are preferable.
[ Fantastic voyage in nanomedicine takes us into realm of science fictionOpens in new window ]
Where do you think EVs might help?
We’re particularly excited about the potential of EVs for helping to repair bone and in calming overactive immune responses.
At the moment, we are working on ways to encourage stem cells to produce EVs with particularly helpful cargoes, and my lab is also developing specialised biomaterials such as hydrogels to help deliver EVs to the site of an injury or damage, so they can be targeted to that site, and they stay there rather than being dispersed around the body.
What helps you move forward with the research?
Ultimately, our goal is to translate our work towards the clinic for the benefit of patients. To facilitate that, we are really lucky to have a Good Manufacturing Practice or GMP facility here at the University of Galway, where we can grow the stem cells, and we have great collaborators and the funding to make it all happen.
I have a European Research Council Starting Grant, as well as funding through Research Ireland and the Higher Education Authority’s North South Research Programme. That means we have time to really dig into the mechanisms of EV production and delivery.
What’s the timeline for getting EV-based therapies into the clinic?
At the moment there is no regulator-approved therapy with EVs, so it’s a really new area, but there are numerous clinical trials being run currently to investigate their safety and potential. Realistically, I’m hopeful we could see the first approved EV therapies within the next five to 10 years, but there’s still a lot of work to be done.
What do you like to do for fun when you’re not busy with your research?
My husband and I love to travel whenever we can, and we also enjoy spending time with family, friends and our dog, Bobby.
