EVE – Extracellular Vesicle Ecosystem for Theranostic Platforms

Blood cell derived EVs hold great potential as a new drug delivery vehicle, and comprise a novel business area for pharma. Further modification and development of these EV products, combined with specific biomolecules, offer real value in overcoming obstacles hampering targeted drug delivery to the CNS and for the treatment of cancer.

In combination with specific disease biomarkers, EVs offer an excellent theranostic instrument for early diagnosis and treatment monitoring. In a globally expanding market of EV biomarkers tools still need to be developed for their clinical translation. EVE brings together Finnish SMEs and their individual technological assets to enhance the sensitivity of EV characterisation and improve disease diagnostics, creating an asset for the global market.

Background

Extracellular vesicles (EV) are cell-derived small (20-500 nm) lipid bilayer restricted molecular messengers between cells and tissues. They are known to consist of the same elements as the cells they originate from, but by limited and specified molecular composition EVs are thought to play an important part in paracrine and endocrine signalling.

Cells secrete EVs with varying mechanisms, which influences not only the content of EVs but also the EV functionality such as targeting and uptake to the recipient cells and tissues. The mechanisms and connections between EV secretion, targeting and uptake are currently intensively studied internationally as the required technological solutions to examine EVs start to emerge.

Rational

As there is a global need to develop novel solutions for early diagnosis and personalised cure for challenging neurodegenerative diseases and cancer, ongoing EV research has shown the great potential in EVs to overcome many of the current obstacles pharmaceutical industry is facing. The EVE – Extracellular Vesicle (EV) Ecosystem for Theranostic Platforms project is an ecosystem to drive the development of novel biomedical solutions and technologies, paving the way for Finnish companies and academic institutions towards EV based solutions.

We are joining forces of four academic research institutions and nine industry partners searching for better drug delivery vehicles, therapeutic solutions and novel biomarkers. Besides these goals, one fundamental part of EVE consortium is to develop further the state-of-the-art methodologies for EV assessment enabling orthogonal approaches to identify the true characteristics and usability of EVs from various cellular sources.

Openness

The applicability of the technologies developed in the EVE consortium is further advanced towards global markets through international collaboration with other EV initiatives in EU, research organisations, and companies. Besides the internal goals, EVE consortium aims to enforce Finnish EV research by informing the Finnish EV community with national and international EV conferences, seminars, and workshops on topical issues in the EV field.

Furthermore, by organising the currently sporadic national research community, EVE consortium facilitates the accessibility to deeded Finnish EV expertise and analytical devices by forming a Finnish network of EV research that can efficiently serve as a facilitator for research collaboration between research organisations and companies in Finland and accelerate international collaboration to and from Finland.

We offer Finnish research teams and companies easy access links for all relevant actors in the field in Finland and globally. Our mission towards Finnish EV community is to offer a functional and developing platform for changing ideas, find a collaborator and / or specialist to turn to.