Cell-derived exosomes are effective in treating disease when mixed with the dominant protein (casein) in breast milk and given orally, a new Smidt Heart Institute (https://www.cedars-sinai.org/programs/heart.html) of Cedars-Sinai study of laboratory mice shows. The findings, published online on January 11, 2021 in the Journal of Extracellular Vesicles, could establish a basis for developing new oral medications for treating patients with muscular dystrophy and heart failure. The open-access article is titled “Casein‐enhanced uptake and disease‐modifying bioactivity of ingested extracellular vesicles.” The study builds on more than a decade of research led by Eduardo Marbán, MD, PhD (https://bio.cedars-sinai.org/marbane/index.html?_ga=2.237266880.174429143.1609886342-363674674.1600381551), Executive Director of the Smidt Heart Institute and Cedars-Sinai Professor of Cardiology. The research has focused on human cardiosphere-derived cells (CDCs) and a type of extracellular vesicle, called an exosome, that is secreted by those cells and travels throughout the body. Exosomes contain various biomolecules. "When we started our first human trial in 2009, we were injecting the cells into the hearts of patients, and we thought the cells themselves were the therapeutic answer," Dr. Marbán said. "Now, we know it's really the exosomes that do the heavy lifting, and our recent work shows that they could be just as effective when administered orally." Since that first study concluded in 2010, Dr. Marbán has led several studies that have each produced new insights and new methods of delivering the cells to patients and an expansion of the type of patients the cells could potentially help. The first studies led by Dr. Marbán involved patients with heart disease and clogged arteries.Login Or Register To Read Full Story