# Metabolic regulation of exosome biogenesis

> **NIH NIH R35** · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $409,375

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
Exosomes are nanoscale vesicles with a diameter of 50-200 nm, actively secreted by various types of cells in
our body. As they carry biomolecules (e.g., proteins, RNAs, or metabolites) specific to their parental cells and
are easily found in biofluids (e.g., blood or urine), exosomes have emerged as a promising biomarker for the
detection and treatment monitoring of various diseases. Also, exosomes have the strong potential as a
therapeutic agent for regeneration and immune regulation; for example, exosomes from mesenchymal stem
cells (MSCs) have been tested in clinical trials for the treatment of brain injury. However, the fundamental
mechanisms of what makes cells secrete exosomes and how the molecular contents in exosomes are
determined remain unclear; for example, we have limited information about how to regulate MSCs to maximize
the production of their exosomes carrying therapeutic molecules. My Lab aims to address these questions by
investigating the role of metabolism in exosome biogenesis, because multiple steps of exosome biogenesis,
including vesicle formation inside a cell and fusing into the plasma membrane, are directly associated with
metabolic processes. In this Project, we will investigate how the exosome generation rate and molecular
contents are determined under different metabolic conditions, specifically with the modulation of nutrients and
NAD levels. We will also develop a single exosome sorting technology based on intravesicular proteins and
investigate the biogenesis of exosomes with mitochondrial molecules under mitochondrial stress conditions.
The research accomplishments from this Project will deepen our understanding of exosomes and help us
develop exosome-based diagnostic and therapeutic strategies more effectively. Our long-term research goal is
to identify the mechanisms of the interplay between metabolism and biogenesis of extracellular vesicles (EVs).
This MIRA research focuses on exosomes, a subpopulation of EVs. Based on our research progresses, we will
expand our research scope to other EVs, including microvesicles, in the future.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10500575
- **Project number:** 1R35GM147513-01
- **Recipient organization:** JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Sangmoo Jeong
- **Activity code:** R35 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $409,375
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-08-01 → 2027-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10500575

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10500575, Metabolic regulation of exosome biogenesis (1R35GM147513-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10500575. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*