Tailored exosome therapy for severe muscle loss
Bioengineering of Customized Exosomes as a Cell-free Therapy for Volumetric Muscle Loss Injuries Proposal
The team will develop customized exosomes from stimulated fat-derived stem cells to help regenerate muscle in people with large traumatic or surgical muscle loss.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R03 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Cleveland State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cleveland, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11145967 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If I had a large traumatic or surgical muscle loss, this project aims to create tiny, cell-free particles called exosomes that can encourage new muscle growth. Researchers will pre-condition fat-derived stem cells using controlled piezoelectric stimulation so the exosomes they release carry signals that promote muscle formation. The work is a lab-based pilot to characterize these customized exosomes and test their effects on muscle cells and tissue models. The goal is a safer, non-cell transplant approach that may avoid immune rejection problems seen with cell therapies.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be people with significant volumetric muscle loss from trauma or surgery who are medically stable and seeking regenerative options.
Not a fit: People with minor muscle injuries, active infections, uncontrolled medical conditions, or those not eligible for regenerative interventions may not benefit from this approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to a non-cellular treatment that helps rebuild functional muscle after severe injuries while lowering the risk of immune rejection.
How similar studies have performed: Preclinical studies of exosomes show promise for muscle repair, but the specific strategy of piezoelectric-stimulated, customized exosomes is novel and untested in humans.
Where this research is happening
Cleveland, United States
- Cleveland State University — Cleveland, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sikder, Prabaha — Cleveland State University
- Study coordinator: Sikder, Prabaha
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.