Poster abstracts
Poster number 20 submitted by Christopher Blum
Engineering Exosomes Through Versatile Oligonucleotide Tethers
Christopher G. Blum (Chemistry Department Carnegie Mellon University), Phil G. Campbell (Biomedical Engineering Department Carnegie Mellon University), Subha R. Das (Chemistry Department Carnegie Mellon University)
Abstract:
Exosomes’ function as biological couriers between cells makes them an ideal vehicle for drug delivery. Engineering exosomes requires minimizing disruptions to their desirable innate characteristics while introducing desired functions. Recently, we have demonstrated the use of oligonucleotide tethers for exosome engineering. The oligonucleotide tethers consist of an anchor strand and display strand. The double stranded design reduces the length and cost of each individual strand, while also allowing for a modular approach to functionalization. Here, we expand this oligonucleotide tether strategy to incorporate aptamers. We have designed anchor and display strands with aptamers to engineer exosomes for a variety of applications. Display strands can use DNA or RNA aptamers to target specific surface proteins on cells for enhanced targeting and uptake. Additionally, anchor strand designs allow for different exosome populations to be selectively functionalized. The development of these oligonucleotide tether systems allows for a versatile method of engineering exosomes for both diagnostic and therapeutic delivery applications.
Keywords: Exosome, Aptamer