About me
Use of Human Schwann Cell Exosome Treatment To Attenuate Expression of Cytokines after Traumatic Brain Injury
Location: East Ballroom
Mentor: Dr. Helen Bramlett
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is implicated in many inflammatory neurological mechanisms which contribute to long-term injuries and physiological deficits. The biological consequences that arise from TBI underscore a need for a novel therapy to mitigate secondary injury mechanisms and TBI-associated inflammatory responses. This project utilized a human Schwann-cell derived exosome (hSC-Exo) therapy to quantify expression of cytokines in a mice model of fluid percussion injury (FPI). The use of exosome therapies in current studies is beginning to show promise as a potential tool to improve physiological outcomes that occur from TBI. We found that expression of cytokines was generally reduced in the cortices of hSC-mice. Conversely, the exosome therapy did not attenuate expression of these cytokines in the lungs of hSC-Exo mice. The exosome therapy demonstrated no significant attenuation of proinflammatory cytokine expression in the serum. These findings underscore the relationship between TBI and increased expression of cytokines and highlight the potential benefits of a hSC-Exo therapy to mitigate neuroinflammatory responses. This project provides new and promising evidence towards hSC-exosome as a therapeutic approach for TBI and brings attention to their potential use to improve neurological injuries and pathophysiological outcomes.
