Understanding how tiny cell messages (EVs) are made, released, and cleared
Official title: Determining the mechanisms of extracellular vesicle release, function, and clearance
Funded at Texas A&m Agrilife Research · NIH-11402720 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at tiny cellular bubbles called extracellular vesicles (EVs) to learn how they’re formed, released, and removed, with the goal of using them to detect disease and someday guide therapies.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Texas A&m Agrilife Research NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (College Station, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | September 5, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $369,340 |
| NIH project number | 5R35GM152234-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11402720 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Anyone with inflammatory or cancer-related conditions could potentially benefit from advances in EV biomarkers or EV-based therapies in the future.
✕Less likely to help
Direct benefits to patients may not occur in the short term; findings may primarily advance basic biology and biomarker development.
What this research studies
Scientists study extracellular vesicles (EVs), tiny particles cells use to send signals that can affect inflammation, cancer, and immune responses. They will use advanced imaging in the worm model C. elegans and human cells to watch how EVs bud from the cell surface, how they carry cargo, and how they’re cleared by phagocytosis. The team has developed new labeling methods to visualize EVs in living systems and will use genetic tools to discover proteins that control EV release. The research aims to build better biomarkers and explore EVs as a platform for targeted drug delivery, while uncovering fundamental biology of EV life cycles.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could improve disease monitoring through EV biomarkers and accelerate EV-based therapies.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have shown that EVs carry meaningful biological information and can be labeled for in vivo imaging, supporting the potential of this approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Texas A&m Agrilife Research
College Station, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wehman, Ann M — Texas A&m Agrilife Research
- Study coordinator: Wehman, Ann M
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
SIM2 and mitochondrial health in Down syndrome
A study tests how a gene linked to Down syndrome affects mitochondria and energy use, with the aim of guiding future therapies for people with Down syndrome and related conditions.
-
Gauging worms in cattle and how a screwworm outbreak could change gut parasites
Researchers will study gut worm communities in Texas beef cattle to see how a screwworm outbreak might change which worms are present and how they respond to common parasite drugs.
-
Understanding how protein entropy affects how proteins fold, work, and stay healthy
Aims to explore how the hidden energy of proteins influences their shape, movements, and roles in health and disease using advanced tools to study proteins.
-
Understanding why bone heals differently in Down syndrome
This grant explores why bone healing is slower or abnormal in people with Down syndrome and how to improve it using mouse models.
-
Rapid protein deletion in brain neurons
A new tool aims to quickly remove specific proteins from adult brain neurons to study how they work and to help respond to acute brain injuries.
-
Pay-what-you-can cafes and heart health in people with high blood pressure and food insecurity
This project tests whether eating at pay-what-you-can cafes improves blood pressure and heart- disease related outcomes for hypertensive adults who face food insecurity.
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.