Maternal Milk is more than food:
Milk contains bioactive components that shape offspring development.

human milk exosomes

Exploration of milk-derived extracellular vesicles & developmental programming.

Q1: MEV transport dynamics. Does MEVs use paracellular transport? Endocytosis? Pinocytosis?
Q2: Where do MEVs end up inside the cells?
Q3: Can they carry specific cargo to targeted sites?
Q4: Does cells of the central nervous system respond to MEVs the same as cells of the periphery?
Q5: Are females or males more responsive to MEV treatment?
Q6: What are the cross-species effects in using bovine MEVs on humans or rats and vice versa.

human microglia with localized milk exosomes

Characterization of the biological cargo encapsulated within milk-derived extracellular vesicles.

Q1: Does MEV-microRNA, peptides, and lipids change with lactation age?
Q2: Does maternal stress impact cargo?
Q3: What metabolic, immune, and cytoprotective pathways being targeted by MEV cargo?
Q3: Can we bioengineer the cargo to deliver specific massages?

logo of developmental origins of health and disease

Investigating the impact of maternal stress on MEVs & developmental programming.

Q1: Does maternal stress impact MEV quantity, quality, uptake, localization, and functional outcomes in neonates?
- Maternal diet
- Maternal obesity
- Maternal psychosocial health
- Maternal immune health

Q2: Can MEV treatment postnatally remediate gestational exposure to maternal obesity, diabetes, inflammation, and immune dysfunction in neonates?

Q3: What are the intergenerational and transgenerational effects of MEV treatment in neonates?

Milk-derived extracellular vesicles are nature’s nanoplatform for intercellular delivery

Milk-derived extracellular vesicles (MEVs) are a unique subpopulation of biological nanovesicles abundant in the milk of all mammals.

They are 30-150nm in size, has a protective lipid bilayer and adhesive proteins, and originate from the cells of the mammary glands.

MEVs carry genetic material (long and small non-coding RNAs), proteins, enzymes, and lipids and survive gastrointestinal degradation. The lipid bilayer of MEVs not only increase stability but also increase solubility.

MEVs efficiently travel across complex cellular barriers, including the intestinal endothelium and the blood-brain barrier.

Translational goals:

  1. MEVs are being tested as a therapeutic to combat inflammatory and metabolic dysfunction in children and adults –> Necrotizing enterocolitis, Childhood obesity and metabolic dysfunction, Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.
  2. MEVs offer superior benefits as a drug delivery platform that surpass the limitations of synthetic liposomes and polymeric nanoparticles. 
  3. Enrich infant formula with MEVs to improve the bioactive properties in order to enhance equitable access to healthy early life nutrition.

Funding Partners