Exploring the Therapeutic Potential of Extracellular Vesicles Anchored to the Sea Cucumber Extracellular Matrix for Treating Atopic Dermatitis.
Sung-Han Jo, Seon-Hwa Kim, Su Chin Heo, Hongsik Cho, Iman Janghorban Esfahani, Sang-Hyug Park
Author Information
Sung-Han Jo: Department of Industry 4.0 Convergence Bionics Engineering, Pukyong National University, Busan, Republic of Korea.
Seon-Hwa Kim: Department of Industry 4.0 Convergence Bionics Engineering, Pukyong National University, Busan, Republic of Korea.
Su Chin Heo: McKay Orthopaedic Research Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6081, USA.
Hongsik Cho: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Biomedical Engineering, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA.
Iman Janghorban Esfahani: Glopex R&D Center, Gyeonggi-do 18469, Republic of Korea.
Sang-Hyug Park: Department of Industry 4.0 Convergence Bionics Engineering, Pukyong National University, Busan, Republic of Korea. ORCID
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are crucial for intercellular communication and affect various physiological and pathological processes. Although terrestrial EVs have been extensively studied, marine-derived EVs have yet to be explored. This study investigated the therapeutic potential of sea cucumbers, known for their regenerative and immune abilities. Sea cucumber extracellular matrix (ECM)-anchored EVs (SEVs) were isolated and characterized using physical and electrophoretic analyses. Morphological assessments have shown that SEVs have shape and size distributions similar to mammalian EVs. Internal cargo analysis revealed the encapsulation of diverse proteins and genetic molecules. In anti-inflammatory tests with a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced macrophage model, the results have shown that SEVs can alleviate inflammation factors regarding inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) protein and immune-related mRNA expression. Microarray analysis was conducted to elucidate SEV's pharmacological efficacy and anti-inflammatory mechanisms, showing that SEVs inhibit the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptor (NLR) signaling pathway. An in vivo study using a mouse model of atopic dermatitis (AD) induced by 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) involved subcutaneous SEV administration, followed by severity scoring and histological analyses. Therapeutic efficacy analysis indicated improvements in the ADmouse models, including reduced skin thickness and mast cell numbers. These findings indicate their potential for treating AD. This study highlights the potential clinical applications of marine-derived EVs and offers important implications for future research and therapeutic developments.
References
Science. 2014 Jan 10;343(6167):183-6
[PMID: 24408433]
