Date of Award

Spring 2024

Document Type

Thesis

Publisher

Santa Clara : Santa Clara University, 2024

Department

Bioengineering

First Advisor

Bill Lu

Abstract

The objective of our project is to engineer exosomes to be an effective therapeutic agent as a possible new treatment option for the neurodegenerative disease, Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Among the various causes of AD, we are focusing on treating the pathogenesis linked to the build-up of amyloid-beta plaques in the brain, which disrupts neural connections and ultimately kills nerve cells. Currently, the most widely available treatment options for AD only provide symptomatic relief and targeting amyloid plaques in the brain is a promising new therapeutic approach in the field. Even the partial clearance of plaques could significantly improve the prognosis of Alzheimer’s patients. Utilizing biocompatible nanocarriers like exosomes facilitates more efficient delivery of the therapeutic to the brain, as exosomes can diffuse across the blood brain barrier. We will first confirm the production of the engineered exosomes in human cells, and then harvest the exosomes at a larger scale for further characterization and testing in binding assays. The target customer for our project would be Alzheimer’s patients, specifically those in need of novel treatment options that provide more than just symptomatic relief. The successful breakdown of beta-amyloid plaques in the brain could slow the progression of the disease and provide an improved quality of life for people with AD. Taking advantage of the biocompatible properties of exosomes as a nanocarrier may help mitigate the risk of side effects due to off-target effects and increase the bioavailability of the therapeutic in the brain. Ethical considerations like cost, safety, side effects, and efficacy over alternative treatments to Alzheimer’s will be considered through the design of our project as well.

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