Exosomes: From villains to heroes | TecScience

SHARE

FOCUS

From villains to heroes

Exosomes are tiny structures that form inside cells and, despite having a "bad" reputation for causing many diseases, they are now being investigated as a possible channel for delivering drugs, treating diseases, and creating treatments. This is one of the research lines of the Femsa Biotechnology Center of the Tec de Monterrey. In the image, Andrea L. Tapia, PhD student in Biotechnology.
Photos: Udell Jiménez

When they were discovered in the 1980s, it was thought that exosomes were just a medium for cellular communication. Over the past decade, it has been proven that they play an important role in conveying proteins, lipids, mRNA, miRNA, and DNA. Biotechnology PhD student Abril Torres Bautista uses ultracentrifugation to transfer exosomes and work on them to benefit people’s health.

Many types of cells, such as cancer cells, release exosomes into the blood to travel to other parts of the body. Their aim is to ensure that the recipient organs are ready to receive the malignant cells and make them proliferate by triggering reactions such as inflammation. In contrast, it has been possible to extract exosomes from the growth of corns for use in curative treatments, as in this photo.

Researchers from the FEMSA Biotechnology Center (CBF) at Tec de Monterrey such as former CBF director José González and Biotechnology PhD student Andrea L. Tapia are attempting to modify the molecules of exosomes and change the message they share between cells, opening a channel for delivering drugs to cells or specific tissues.

A dozen researchers (including undergraduate and graduate students at Tec de Monterrey such as Biotechnology PhD student Andrés Omar Martínez Santillán) are working together on not only developing applications for exosomes but also purifying and streamlining the process for obtaining and using them.

Biotechnology PhD student Abril Torres is researching the use of exosomes obtained from bone marrow stem cells to create medicines for alopecia.

Thanks to research and technology, exosomes can now be used for health benefits as a natural carrier, unlike artificially synthesized polymers. In this case, exosomes are separated from other cellular fragments and contaminants by ultracentrifugation.

Previous slide

Next slide

FOCUS

Exosomes

Exosomes are tiny structures that form inside cells and, despite having a "bad" reputation for causing many diseases, they are now being investigated as a possible channel for delivering drugs, treating diseases, and creating treatments. This is one of the research lines of the Femsa Biotechnology Center of the Tec de Monterrey. In the image, Andrea L. Tapia, PhD student in Biotechnology. Photos: Udell Jiménez / TecScience

Microscopic image of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) crystals taken with an optical microscope and polarized light. All images were taken by Inés Gutiérrez Jaber, a.k.a Cirrina Lab.

A second microscopic image of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) crystals taken with an optical microscope and polarized light. All images were taken by Inés Gutiérrez Jaber, a.k.a Cirrina Lab.

A third microscopic image of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) crystals taken with an optical microscope and polarized light.

Microscopic image of liquid crystals [N-(-4-Methoxybenzylidene)-4-butylaniline] taken with an optical microscope and polarized light.

Microscopic image of Daphnia, a genus of microscopic animals known as water fleas. Taken with darkfield microscopy.

Microscopic image of Hydra, a genus of microscopic animals know go be biologically inmortal. Taken with darkfield microscopy.

Institutes and
research centers

Institute for the Future of Education

Institute of Advanced Materials for Sustainable Manufacturing

Institute for the Future of Education

Center for the Future of Cities

Femsa Biotechnology Center

Water Center for Latin America and the Caribbean

Research Data Hub

Directories, rankings and summit

Tecnológico de Monterrey Rankings

Tec Science Summit

Rómulo Garza Award

Tec Science Divulgation

Research groups and others

Researchers at Tec de Monterrey

Faculty of research professors

Research Groups with a Strategic Focus

TecSalud Research

Competitive and Technological Intelligence (ICTI)

Technology Transfer Offices

Science Connexion

Editorial and publishing guidelines

Divulgation Articles

Amateur Science

Editorial Committee

Transferencia archive

Divulgation Articles

Previous editions

Do you want to request a coverage or a banner?

Do you want to propose a story for TecScience?

Also

Tecnológico de Monterrey

Terms and conditions

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Document

Av. Eugenio Garza Sada 2501 Sur Col. Tecnológico C.P. 64849 Monterrey, Nuevo León Tel. +52 (81) 8358-2000

¡Suscríbete a nuestro newsletter!

Document

Av. Eugenio Garza Sada 2501 Sur Col. Tecnológico C.P. 64849 Monterrey, Nuevo León Tel. +52 (81) 8358-2000

Institutes and research centers

Institute for the Future of Education

Institute of Advanced Materials for Sustainable Manufacturing

Institute for the Future of Education

Center for the Future of Cities

Femsa Biotechnology Center

Water Center for Latin America and the Caribbean

Research Data Hub

Directories, rankings and summit

Rankings Tecnológico de Monterrey

Tec Science Summit

Premio Rómulo Garza

Tecnológico de Monterrey Rankings

Tec Science Summit

Rómulo Garza Award

Tec Science Divulgation

Research groups and others

Researchers at Tec de Monterrey

Faculty of research professors

Research Groups with a Strategic Focus

TecSalud Research

Competitive and Technological Intelligence (ICTI)

Technology Transfer Offices

Science Connexion

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Document

Editorial and publishing guidelines

Divulgation Articles

Amateur Science

Editorial Committee

Transferencia archive

Divulgation Articles

Previous editions

Do you want to request a coverage or a banner?

Do you want to propose a story for TecScience?

Also

Tecnológico de Monterrey

Terms and conditions

Av. Eugenio Garza Sada 2501 Sur Col. Tecnológico C.P. 64849 Monterrey, Nuevo León Tel. +52 (81) 8358-2000

Sign up to our weekly newsletter!

Av. Eugenio Garza Sada 2501 Sur Col. Tecnológico C.P. 64849 Monterrey, Nuevo León Tel. +52 (81) 8358-2000

TECSCIENCE, year 1, July 25, 2023, is a daily publication by Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education), whose registered address is at Av. Eugenio Garza Sada No. 2501, Col. Tecnológico de Monterrey, C.P. 64849, Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico. Website: https://tecscience.tec.mx/. Editor-in-Chief: Karina Rodríguez. Email: [email protected]. All Rights Reserved to use the title TecScience under Certificate No. 04-2023-011613551100-203 ISSN: 2992-7668, both issued by Instituto Nacional de Derecho de Autor (National Institute of Copyright). Editor Responsible for the last update of this site: Karina Rodríguez Martínez. Address: Av. Eugenio Garza Sada No. 2501, Col. Tecnológico de Monterrey, C.P. 64849, Monterrey, Nuevo León. Last modification date: July 25th, 2023.

The articles published herein represent the personal views of their authors, which are not necessarily the same as those of the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education.

Full or partial reproduction by any means of the contents of TecScience in any of its formats without written authorization from the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education is strictly prohibited.