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Research

Cells communicate through the particles they release. We ask how that communication shapes disease, and whether we can harness it as medicine. Three connected themes take us from mechanism to therapy.

Theme 1

EV biology and cargo transfer mechanisms in Joint and Cardiovascular Disease

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) act as cellular couriers, transferring proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids between cells. In pathologies like Osteoarthritis (OA), Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), and Cardiovascular Disease, this constant traffic heavily influences the balance of inflammation and repair in poorly regenerating tissues. We decode this signaling axis by defining exactly what cargo is transferred, identifying how recipient cells take it up, and tracking the ultimate biological impact.

  • Osteoarthritis
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis
  • Cardiovascular disease
  • Cargo transfer

What we are asking

  • Which cargo moves

    Identifying molecules selectively loaded into EVs from cartilage, synovial and cardiovascular cell types.

  • How cargo is delivered

    Tracing uptake and functional release of EV cargo inside recipient cells.

  • What it means for disease

    Linking EV-mediated transfer to disease progression and to signatures measurable in body fluids.

Theme 2

Non-vesicular extracellular particles and other novel particles in disease and therapy

EV preparations also contain particles that are not vesicles, such as exomeres and supermeres. These non-vesicular extracellular particles (NVEPs) are hard to separate from EVs with standard methods, so their contribution to signaling is largely unknown. We separate, characterize and functionally test them.

  • NVEPs
  • Novel particles
  • Therapeutic applications

What we are asking

  • Separate and define

    Isolation strategies that distinguish NVEPs from EVs and describe their composition.

  • Role in pathology

    Testing whether NVEPs carry disease-relevant information or help drive disease.

  • Therapeutic use

    Exploring NVEPs and other novel particles as carriers, targets or biomarkers.

Theme 3

Therapeutic gene editing with next-generation engineered EVs and viral vectors

Genome editing can correct disease at its source, but only if editors reach the right cells safely. We engineer EVs and viral vectors as delivery vehicles for CRISPR-based tools, aiming for targeted, transient and well-characterized editing.

  • Gene editing
  • Engineered EVs
  • Viral vectors

What we are asking

  • Engineered EVs

    Loading editors into EVs and directing them to chosen cell types.

  • Viral vectors

    Benchmarking viral delivery against EV-based approaches in the same experimental systems.

  • Safety and specificity

    Measuring on-target activity, off-target effects and delivery efficiency.

Future directions

Our next step is a larger, integrated program. We have submitted an ERC Starting Grant proposal, project DeTeCT-JC-EV3, that builds on the proof-of-concept work of DeTeCT-EV and takes on three open challenges in extracellular signaling and targeted editing.

Foundation

DeTeCT-EV

Our proof-of-concept project, establishing the methods and data on which the next program builds.

Grant submitted

DeTeCT-JC-EV3

ERC Starting Grant. A cross-disciplinary program linking extracellular signaling to targeted editing.

  • Mapping who signals to whom

    Resolving which cells send and receive EV cargo in living tissue, and what that exchange changes.

  • Beyond vesicles

    Extending the map to non-vesicular particles, so the whole extracellular signaling landscape is considered.

  • Editing with precision

    Turning that knowledge into engineered carriers that deliver editors to defined cell types.

Discuss collaborationSee our published work