Home Department: Undeclared
Mentor: Phillip Yang (Medicine - Cardiovascular Medicine)

"Validating Preclinical Efficacy of Mitochondria-Rich EVs from Expanded HSPC-derived Erythrocyte Progenitor Cells"

Heart failure affects nearly 6.7 million adults in the U.S. and arises when heart muscle cells cannot generate adequate energy to sustain normal contraction. This project explores a new way to address this core energetic failure by expanding human erythrocyte progenitor cells (EPCs) to produce mitochondria-rich extracellular vesicles (MEVs). These vesicles can transfer healthy mitochondria to injured cardiomyocytes, restoring energy production. The project will also assess the immunoprivilege of EPC-derived MEVs, a key requirement for designing a safe, scalable therapy. By leveraging cellular engineering, this work supports future translational therapies that target heart failure at its root.