THE EXCELL Project

Advancing Bladder Cancer Treatment with miRNA-Loaded Extracellular Vesicles: Pioneering Precision Medicine

Bladder cancer ranks as one of the most prevalent cancers, holding the position of the 10th most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide. As the most frequent malignancy affecting the urinary tract, bladder cancer has a high global prevalence, making the development of new and more effective treatments critically important.

Personalized medicine utilizing extracellular vesicles (EVs) is an emerging and promising approach in healthcare and disease management, since they play a crucial role in intracellular communication and mediating various cellular processes. We have developed a patented platform technology of miRNA-loaded EVs which selectively target tumors and disrupt the metastatic process successfully in breast cancer models.

As a new therapeutic formulation, its exact mechanism of action is yet to be fully delineated and the extend in which it can affect cellular mechanisms. This is crucial in ensuring safety as well as expanding its therapeutic potential to other cancer types such as bladder cancer. The specific cancer type was selected based on its molecular profile and clinical prognosis indicators, ensuring its appropriateness for responding to our novel therapeutic agent.

This project will utilize state-of-the art omics profiling studies (transcriptomics and proteomics) to fully characterize our novel therapeutic agent (versus naturally occurring EVs) as well as the recipient bladder cancer cells with/out treatment and relevant controls. Furthermore, in vitro efficacy and safety studies of the formulation will provide an invaluable insight of its anti-oncogenic and anti-metastatic properties in bladder cancer cell lines.

Consequently, this project aims to expand the applications of our novel, proprietary platform technology to bladder cancer, expanding its oncology market applications and further enhancing its potential as a promising therapeutic modality in oncology.