# Exosomal vesicles for neuroprotection and repair after SCI

> **NIH VA I21** · MIAMI VA HEALTH CARE SYSTEM · 2024 · —

## Abstract

An estimated 294,000 people live with spinal cord injury (SCI) in the United States of which over 40,000 are
veterans. Though several therapeutic directions have shown promise in experimental paradigms, there does not
exist a restorative treatment clinically that can significantly reverse the neurological deficits associated with SCI
to improve function. At the forefront of experimental regenerative therapies that are being translated to clinical
trials for human SCI is the transplantation of cells, from neural and mesenchymal stem cells to Schwann cells
and olfactory ensheathing cells. Though benefits are observed with cell implantation after SCI, critical challenges
associated with their use remains, including poor viability within the injured spinal cord, the need for an
immunosuppressant when not autologous as well as the possibility of unwanted cell differentiation, proliferation,
or migration of the implantation cells leading to various undesirable effects. Whereas combinatory approaches
have been demonstrated to overcome some of these deficiencies, an alternate strategy to exogenous cell
therapy is to stimulate host repair through exosomal vesicles (EVs). EVs are nanosized endocytic vesicles that
cells release into the immediate environment, allowing transfer of biomolecules between them. EVs contain a
variety of cargoes from microRNA to proteins and signaling intermediaries that can promote cell survival,
differentiation, axon growth and myelination or subdue inflammation and scar formation. There is a growing
consensus that EVs play a crucial role in regulating the adult neural stem niche. These EVs also offer the
capacity to be engineered to express a fluorescent label, be targeted to a selective cell type, or be loaded with
specific cargoes (e.g. small molecules, peptides, and miRNAs) for tissue or targeted cell specific delivery.
 Recent advances in our understanding of cell derived EVs and realization of their therapeutic potential in
conditions such as stroke and cardiovascular disease have expanded the EV field. However, their use as a
therapeutic modality after SCI has been limited and remains largely in its infancy. In the proposed studies, we
will focus on the comparative assessment of the neuroprotective, neurogenic and the regenerative potential of
EVs derived from disparate parental cell populations and under different cell culture conditions. Microglia (MG)
and Schwann cells (SCs), immunologically primed or growth-stimulated, will be evaluated for their capacity to
promote repair and recovery in murine models of subacute SCI to answer fundamental questions of feasibility,
delivery, and efficacy. The goals of the proposed study will be accomplished through two Specific Aims. In Aim
1, the most effective cell-derived EV type will be identified according to their ability to promote neural cell survival
and axon growth in vitro. Further, the aim will optimize their in vivo delivery in an experimental SCI mouse model
and assess t...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11081610
- **Project number:** 5I21RX003871-03
- **Recipient organization:** MIAMI VA HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
- **Principal Investigator:** Mousumi Ghosh
- **Activity code:** I21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** VA
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** —
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2022-07-01 → 2024-09-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11081610

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11081610, Exosomal vesicles for neuroprotection and repair after SCI (5I21RX003871-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11081610. Licensed CC0.

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