Directly transfected exosomes can serve as nanocarriers to deliver small RNAs to podocytes in vitro
Dr. Tim Lange from the research group of Prof. Nicole Endlich at the Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University Medicine Greifswald, together with their collaborators has been awarded the Quarterly Publication Award (QPA) II/2025 of the Anatomische Gesellschaft for their study, "Efficient delivery of small RNAs to podocytes in vitro by direct exosome transfection" recently published in the Journal of Nanobiotechnology.
Podocytes are a crucial component of the glomerular filtration barrier, and changes in their 3D structure contribute to over 80% of chronic kidney disease (CKD) cases. Exosomal small RNAs play a key role in cell-cell communication in CKD and may serve as nanocarriers for delivering small RNAs into podocytes. However, the uptake of exosomal cargo by podocytes remains poorly understood. This study demonstrates that direct exosome transfection with fluorescently-labeled small RNAs is an effective method for tracking exosomal cargo in podocytes. The awarded study by Nicole Endlich and Tim Lange from the Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University Medicine Greifswald, is the first to show that directly transfected exosomes can deliver small RNAs to podocytes in vitro, suggesting their potential as RNA carriers for therapeutic strategies in more complex settings.
Lange T, Maron L, Weber C, Biedenweg D, Schlüter R, Endlich N. Efficient delivery of small RNAs to podocytes in vitro by direct exosome transfection. J Nanobiotechnology. 2025 May 23;23(1):373. doi: 10.1186/s12951-025-03426-7. PMID: 40410889; PMCID: PMC12100849.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12951-025-03426-7
