Therapeutic extracellular vesicles to boost skin wound healing
Official title: Mechanisms of extracellular vesicle biogenesis that regulate wound healing
Funded at University of California, San Diego · NIH-11396458 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A research grant is exploring how tiny cell messengers called extracellular vesicles can be engineered to improve skin wound repair in injury models.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Diego NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $410,800 |
| NIH project number | 5R35GM149245-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11396458 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with acute or chronic skin wounds who may benefit from accelerated healing and reduced scarring.
✕Less likely to help
People with wounds not responsive to EV-based therapies or with immune-related contraindications may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project uses genetic tools to alter how extracellular vesicles are formed and loaded with healing signals, aiming to create EVs that better promote tissue repair in skin wounds. It also investigates which skin cells take up these vesicles and how immune and epithelial cells communicate during healing. By engineering payloads that drive repair and testing them in wound models, the work hopes to produce therapeutic EVs optimized for restoring skin integrity.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the approach could lead to new biologic therapies that accelerate wound healing.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has shown EVs can influence tissue repair, supporting the potential for this approach but the exact mechanisms and engineered payloads are still being explored.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Diego
La Jolla, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Eliceiri, Brian P — University of California, San Diego
- Study coordinator: Eliceiri, Brian P
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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.