https://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. It's no secret that we need new ways to treat and detect disease, including cancer. Specifically, we need better biomarkers that can be used for diagnosis and better ways to selectively get medicine where we want it to go in the body. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-circular-rna-preferentially-packaged-cells.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 02 Oct 2025 12:04:05 EDT news678625441 Exosomes, naturally derived vesicles responsible for intercellular communication, are emerging as next-generation drug delivery systems capable of transporting therapeutics to specific cells. However, their tightly packed, cholesterol-rich membranes make it extremely difficult to encapsulate large molecules such as mRNA or proteins. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-drug-technique-cubosome-based-method.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 13 Aug 2025 11:53:03 EDT news674304781 Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is the most prevalent form of permanent hearing loss, affecting over 6% of the global population, according to the World Health Organization. It results from damage to sensory hair cells in the inner ear or to the auditory nerve pathways that transmit sound to the brain. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-exosome-therapy-approach-sensorineural-loss.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 24 Jun 2025 14:39:05 EDT news669994741 A review led by Academician Yulong Yin from the Institute of Subtropical Agriculture of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has shed new light on the intricate interplay between exosomes and autophagy—two cellular processes increasingly recognized as key regulators of tissue communication and homeostasis. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-explores-complex-dialogue-exosomes-autophagy.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 14 May 2025 12:22:02 EDT news666444121 Exosomes, secreted by most cells, carry biological information and proteins that serve as noninvasive biomarkers for diagnosing and predicting disease progression and metastasis. However, the rapid isolation of high-purity exosomes from various biofluids, such as undiluted whole blood, plasma and serum, remains a challenge. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-oscillating-microbubbles-exosomes-blood-minutes.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 28 Apr 2025 12:27:03 EDT news665062021 A joint research team has developed a modular protein adapter technology that enables the stable attachment of various substances to the surface of extracellular vesicles (exosomes). It was designed to enable functional molecules to bind efficiently, even in the complex environments of cell membranes. The research demonstrated the potential for the development of tailored therapeutics. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-modular-protein-technology-enables-exosome.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 24 Apr 2025 12:02:03 EDT news664714922 The Gourdie laboratory had a problem of its own making. The lab at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC has spent years exploring how microscopic containers naturally found in raw cow's milk—called exosomes—can be used to carry medicine through the body. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-dried-exosomes-drug-delivery-storage.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 09 Apr 2025 16:29:03 EDT news663434941 A research team led by Dr. Du Xuemin from the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has reported a living interface with unique functionalities of durable secretion of bioactive exosomes with tunable contents and miRNA cargoes, effectively promoting neurovascular remodeling. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-mirna-tunable-interface-neurovascular-remodeling.html Bio & Medicine Fri, 22 Nov 2024 12:45:29 EST news651501920 Messenger RNA (mRNA) serves as a blueprint for proteins. When mRNA is no longer needed, it must be degraded. Director Elena Conti and her team at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Martinsried near Munich have now been able to show that the various molecular machines that translate and degrade mRNA are physically linked to each other and jointly form a supercomplex This supercomplex consists of the ribosome, the SKI complex and the exosome and is part of the cellular quality control machinery. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-high-resolution-supercomplex-links-mrna.html Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 10 Oct 2024 15:43:03 EDT news647793781 A new way of diagnosing lung cancer with a blood draw is 10 times faster and 14 times more sensitive than earlier methods, according to University of Michigan researchers. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-microchip-captures-exosomes-faster-sensitive.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 03 Oct 2024 16:00:34 EDT news647190029 Diabetes, a widespread condition affecting approximately 13% of American adults, is often accompanied by complications such as impaired wound healing. If left unchecked, this can lead to severe outcomes, including the need for amputation. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-harnessing-exosomes-hydrogels-advanced-diabetic.html Bio & Medicine Fri, 20 Sep 2024 12:18:58 EDT news646053534 RNA interference (RNAi) technology has gradually become a cutting-edge technology for treating diseases such as genetic disorders and cancer due to its huge potential in gene expression regulation. However, the efficient delivery and safety of short interfering RNA (siRNA) remain key challenges for its clinical application. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-cholesterol-exosome-rna-drug-delivery.html Bio & Medicine Fri, 20 Sep 2024 11:30:03 EDT news646050601 Researchers have synthesized tannic acid-coated magnetic beads capable of extracting membrane vesicles called "exosomes" from biological fluids with 60% efficiency. This novel method will make it easier and faster to isolate exosomes from laboratory samples, while the chemical composition of the exosomes will help detect cancer in its early stages. The study was published in the Journal of Materials Chemistry B. https://phys.org/news/2024-07-tannic-acid-coated-magnetic-beads.html Biochemistry Mon, 01 Jul 2024 11:41:03 EDT news639052861 Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers and has one of the lowest survival rates in the world. Cytokines, which are small signaling proteins, such as interleukin-12 (IL-12), have demonstrated considerable potential as robust tumor suppressors. However, their applications are limited due to a multitude of severe side effects. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-inhalable-therapy-big-lung-cancer.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 15 Feb 2024 15:53:03 EST news627234781 A research team in Japan, led by Nagoya University's Akira Yokoi, has developed an innovative technique using cellulose nanofiber (CNF) sheets derived from wood cellulose to capture extracellular vesicles (EVs) from fluid samples and even organs during surgery. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-extracellular-vesicles-captured-sustainable-wood.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 08 Nov 2023 05:00:02 EST news618589506 In many instances, the physical manifestation of cancers and the ways they are subsequently diagnosed is via a tumor, tissue masses of mutated cells and structures that grow excessively. One of the major mysteries in understanding what goes awry in cancers relates to the environments within which these structures grow, commonly known as the tumor microenvironment. https://phys.org/news/2023-02-insights-mechanisms-tumor-growth.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 17 Feb 2023 10:11:19 EST news595851076 Most cancer diagnostic techniques rely on uncomfortable and invasive procedures, such as biopsies, endoscopies or mammograms. Blood samples could be a less unpleasant option, though only a few forms of the disease can currently be diagnosed this way. But now, researchers reporting in ACS Sensors have developed an easy-to-use method that can detect small amounts of cancer-related molecules in exosomes in plasma and effectively distinguish between malignant and benign samples. https://phys.org/news/2023-02-crispr-cancer-biomarkers.html Biochemistry Wed, 01 Feb 2023 08:00:01 EST news594453351 Researchers led by Prof. Cui Feng from the Institute of Zoology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have identified a saliva protein, exportin 6, that acts as a vehicle for transporting plant virions into exosomes, thus overcoming the barrier of insect salivary glands to horizontal transmission. https://phys.org/news/2022-09-key-factor-exosome-mediated-viral-transmission.html Plants & Animals Mon, 05 Sep 2022 09:16:40 EDT news581588198 Exosomes as potential biomarkers in liquid biopsy hold great potential for early cancer diagnosis and monitoring of highly metastatic cancer cells. Recently, a group of researchers proposed a novel electrochemical biosensor for sensitive identification and detection of target exosomes. The biosensor, based on 2D MXene membranes decorated with hierarchical Au nanoarrays, shows satisfactory reproducibility, wide linear range, and high sensitivity for exosome sensing. https://phys.org/news/2022-09-electrochemical-biosensor-early-cancer.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 05 Sep 2022 09:15:55 EDT news581588151 Our cells are constantly communicating, and scientists have developed an efficient way to find out what messages they are sending in protein-packed biological suitcases called exosomes. https://phys.org/news/2022-08-approach-enables-packages-cells-gain.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 30 Aug 2022 03:41:29 EDT news581049682 While turmeric root has been used medicinally throughout the world for centuries, science has found that its main chemical component, curcumin, breaks down in the body before its ultimate benefits can be achieved. An exciting collaboration among Carnegie Mellon University researchers Sai Yerneni, Phil Campbell, Burak Ozdoganlar, and Ezgi Yalcintas has created an approach to uniquely enable the use of curcumin as a robust therapeutic. https://phys.org/news/2022-08-microneedles-curcumin-therapeutic-potential.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 16 Aug 2022 15:53:04 EDT news579883981 Going to the doctor might make you want to cry, and according to a new study, doctors could someday put those tears to good use. In ACS Nano, researchers report a nanomembrane system that harvests and purifies tiny blobs called exosomes from tears, allowing researchers to quickly analyze them for disease biomarkers. Dubbed iTEARS, the platform could enable more efficient and less invasive molecular diagnoses for many diseases and conditions, without relying solely on symptoms. https://phys.org/news/2022-07-nanomembrane-diseases-isolating-biomarkers.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 20 Jul 2022 10:09:03 EDT news577530541 Inside all of us is an army of cells called neutrophils, primed and ready to take out any invader, be it bacteria in a wound or viruses entering our airways. As the first line of defense for the immune system, neutrophils attack and call in reinforcements in a coordinated effort to prevent infection. https://phys.org/news/2022-07-unique-neutrophil-chemical-messaging.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 18 Jul 2022 16:10:06 EDT news577379402 Exosomes are lipid-bilayer nanoscale membrane particles (typically https://phys.org/news/2022-07-label-free-biocompatible-on-chip-magnetic-enables.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 05 Jul 2022 13:19:02 EDT news576245941 An international team of scientists has found new biomarkers that can be used for diagnostic purposes and potentially as predictive tools of the risks associated with deep-space flight. https://phys.org/news/2022-03-biomarkers-deep-space-flight.html Space Exploration Wed, 02 Mar 2022 16:05:02 EST news565459497 Extracellular vesicles—or exosomes, as they are more commonly known—continue to be a curious research focus for the scientific community. Once assumed to be waste materials secreted by cells, exosomes have recently been identified as mail carriers, serving an essential role in cell-to-cell communication by acting as delivery vehicles between cells. New research from Carnegie Mellon University and UPMC explores a new use case for exosomes: Delivering growth factors like bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) for bone healing. https://phys.org/news/2021-11-uncovering-case-exosomes.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 29 Nov 2021 15:42:26 EST news557422944 A research group led by Prof. Guang Shouhong from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, collaborating with Prof. Feng Xuezhu from the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, revealed the nucleolar RNA interference based on Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) as model organism. The study was published in Nuclear Acids Research. https://phys.org/news/2021-09-revealing-molecular-mechanism-nucleolar-rna.html Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 27 Sep 2021 10:43:47 EDT news551958225 Cells have small compartments known as organelles that perform complex biochemical reactions. These compartments have multiple enzymes that work together to execute important cellular functions. Researchers at the Center for Soft and Living Matter within the Institute for Basic Science (IBS, South Korea) have successfully mimicked these nano-scale spatial compartments to create "artificial mitochondria." The study is published in Nature Catalysis as a cover article. The researchers state that the technology can be used to construct artificial organelles that can supply ATP or other useful molecules to cells in damaged or diseased tissues. https://phys.org/news/2021-09-scientists-explore-creation-artificial-organelles.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 13 Sep 2021 11:00:02 EDT news550741127 A research group led by Prof. YANG Hui from the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology (SIAT) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences reported a novel nanofluidic device for high-throughput preparation of exosome-based drug delivery vehicles. https://phys.org/news/2021-09-exosome-nanoporator-nanofluidic-device-exosome-based.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 06 Sep 2021 07:25:21 EDT news550131917 Exosomes are nano-sized biological capsules that cells produce to protect and courier delicate molecules throughout the body. The capsules are hardy enough to withstand enzymatic breakdown, as well as acidic and temperature fluctuations in the gut and bloodstream, making them a prime candidate for drug delivery. https://phys.org/news/2021-08-scientists-distill-cow-nano-capsules-drug.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 23 Aug 2021 10:16:20 EDT news548932576