Extracellular Vesicles (EVs) and Lipid Nanoparticles (LNPs) 2026
Date: Tuesday, October 27, 2026 - Wednesday, October 28, 2026
Location: VOCO Hotel -- Laguna Hills, California
Confirmed Speakers
Aijun Wang, Chancellor's Fellow Professor of Surgery and of Biomedical Engineering, University of California-Davis (UC Davis) -- Conference Co-Chairperson
Eunji Chung, Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California
Mei He, Associate Professor, University of Florida, United States of America -- Conference Co-Chairperson
Sven Kreutel, CEO, Particle Metrix, Inc.
Ananth Kumar Kammala, Associate Professor, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
Hsueh-Chia Chang, Bayer Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Notre Dame; Co-Founder & CTO, Aopia Biosciences
Noah Malmstadt, Professor, Mork Family Dept. of Chemical Engineering & Materials Science, University of Southern California -- Conference Co-Chairperson
Cheemeng Tan, Chancellor’s Fellow, Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California-Davis
Marley Dewey, Assistant Professor of Bioengineering, University of California-Santa Barbara
Steve Soper, Foundation Distinguished Professor, Director, Center of BioModular Multi-Scale System for Precision Medicine, The University of Kansas - Plenary Speaker
Overview of the Conference
SelectBIO Extracellular Vesicles (EVs) and Lipid Nanoparticles (LNPs) 2026 takes place October 27-28, 2026 at the VOCO Hotel, Laguna Hills, California, USA.
This conference brings together academic researchers, industry scientists, and companies from the US, Europe and Asia/Pacific in a focused 2-day event featuring academic presentations on cutting-edge science, company presentations, technology/tools vendor presentations and instrumentation demos plus exhibitors and networking opportunities.
The conference welcomes doctoral students, post-doctoral and research fellows to submit abstracts for oral presentations on their research as it relates to the goals of this conference -- featuring the latest research, engaging researchers and companies, and extensive networking and collaboration opportunities.
**Co-located and Held Concurrently with the Lab-on-a-Chip and Microfluidics World Congress (LOAC2026) -- Each Registration Provides Full Access to Both Tracks, Workshops and All Networking Events**
Abstract Submission for Oral and Poster Presentations
You can present your research in an oral presentation or poster while attending the meeting. Submit an abstract for consideration under the Submissions tab of this conference website
Oral Presentation Abstract Submission Deadline: April 30, 2026
Poster Presentation Abstract Submission Deadline: October 15, 2026
Agenda Topics Covered at this Conference
Emerging Areas in Exosomes/EV Research
Various Platforms for the Isolation of Exosomes/EVs
Characterization of Exosomes/EVs
Downstream Analysis of Exosomes/EV Cargo -- RNAs, Proteins and Lipids
Platforms for Single Exosome/EV Analysis -- Flow Cytometry
Advancements in Technologies and New Disruptive Technologies in EV Research
Lipid Nanoparticles (LNPs): Synthesis, Toxicity, Applications
Lipid Nanoparticles (LNPs): Companies, Products and Services
Sponsorship and Exhibition Opportunities
3-for-2 Offer on Delegate Registrations
SelectBIO are offering 3 Delegate Registrations for the price of 2 on all delegate passes. To take advantage of this offer, please contact us by email, phone or click the Contact Us button below. Looking for more than 3 Delegate Passes? Contact us for more information on our special rates for large groups.
Any questions or assistance during registration, please call us at: +1 (510) 857-4865 or e-mail us at: Contact SelectBIO
Gold Sponsors
Exhibitors
Sponsorship and Exhibition Opportunities
If you require any information about exhibiting or sponsoring at one of our events please contact Jeff Fan using the information below:
Jeff Fan
Exhibition Manager - SelectBIO Conferences
Why Sponsor-Exhibit at a SelectBIO Conference?
Specialists: SelectBIO doesn't organize conferences in shipping, accountancy, textiles etc. – just life sciences. Many of our staff have bioscience qualifications and many years of experience. So, we speak your language and understand your needs.
Superior Customer Service: Our sales team will take care of you with specialist advice and customized packages.
We don’t forget you after you sign on the bottom line either as our customer service dept. will alert you to all the things you need to think about up to and during the event itself.
Extracellular Vesicles (EVs) & Lipid Nanoparticles (LNPs) 2026 Conference Venue
SelectBIO is pleased to host Extracellular Vesicles (EVs) & Lipid Nanoparticles (LNPs) 2026 Conference at VOCO Laguna Hills: An IHG Hotel -- Laguna Hills, California.
VOCO Laguna Hills
25205 La Paz Road
Laguna Hills, California 92653, USA
Telephone: (949) 586-5000
This hotel in Southern California is easily accessible from Los Angeles and San Diego via Interstate-5 (I-5).
The nearest airport is: John Wayne Airport (SNA) - 13.7 miles from the hotel.
From Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) - the hotel is 52.9 miles.
The hotel is within a short drive of Disneyland and Legoland California, as well as Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, as well as shopping and dining at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa.
All conference sessions, exhibition as well as networking reception will be held in the Crystal Ballroom at VOCO Laguna Hills.
SelectBIO has negotiated discounted hotel room pricing for conference attendees at VOCO Laguna Hills.
To make your Hotel Reservations Online: Click the Button Below to Open the Hotel Booking Website. This will provide a SelectBIO discounted rate for booking hotel rooms.
For any questions with the venue or logistics matters, please kindly contact SelectBIO Conferenes:
Jeff Fan
Events Manager, SelectBIO Conferences
E-mail: Jeff@selectbioconferences.com
SelectBIO has NOT authorized ANY third party company to assist in hotel bookings or any bookings or reservations for this conference. Please do NOT do business with any third party companies. If in doubt, please contact Jeff Fan immediately to clarify.
Register to this conference and also enjoy the following co-located events at no extra charge.
Training Courses
If you would like to submit a proposal for an oral or poster presentation at this meeting, please fill out the form below required for your submission.
Successful applicants will be provided with all necessary information.
Abstract Content:
-
Written in English
-
Written in the third person
-
Include title, name(s) and affiliation(s) of the authors
-
Between 100 - 200 words
-
Suitable for direct publication in the proceedings pack and on the website
-
Related to the subject of the conference
Agenda Topics
Emerging Areas in Exosomes/EV Research
Various Platforms for the Isolation of Exosomes/EVs
Characterization of Exosomes/EVs
Downstream Analysis of Exosomes/EV Cargo -- RNAs, Proteins and Lipids
Platforms for Single Exosome/EV Analysis -- Flow Cytometry
Advancements in Technologies and New Disruptive Technologies in EV Research
Lipid Nanoparticles (LNPs): Synthesis, Toxicity, Applications
Lipid Nanoparticles (LNPs): Companies, Products and Services
Copyrights
The presenting author/person who submitted the abstract assumes full responsibility of the content of the abstract and we assume that all co-authors are aware of this content. Please note that your biography, summary and abstract may be used on this website and conference materials.
Aijun Wang, Chancellor's Fellow Professor of Surgery and of Biomedical Engineering, University of California-Davis (UC Davis) -- Conference Co-Chairperson
Aijun Wang Biographical Sketch
Dr. Aijun Wang is a Chancellor's Fellow Professor of Surgery and of Biomedical Engineering at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis). He serves as Vice Chair for Translational Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Department of Surgery, Co-Director of the Center for Surgical Bioengineering, and inaugural Dean's Fellow in Entrepreneurship at the UC Davis School of Medicine. Additionally, he is a Principal Investigator at the Institute for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine (IPRM) / Shriners Children's Pediatric Research Center, Northern California.
Dr. Wang received his Ph.D. in biology from Tsinghua University, Beijing, China, and underwent postdoctoral training at the UC Berkeley Department of Bioengineering and Berkeley Stem Cell Center, with a postdoctoral fellowship from California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). He has been a faculty member of UC Davis since 2012.
Dr. Wang's research focuses on developing tools and technologies, and therapeutics that integrate molecular, cellular, tissue and biomaterial engineering to promote regeneration and restore function. The Wang Group integrates single cell spatial multi-omics (transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics) to study disease mechanisms and developmental process, and engineers and develops stem cell/gene therapy, extracellular vesicles/nanomedicine, and extracellular matrix/biomaterial scaffolds to treat a wide spectrum of congenital conditions and acquired diseases. Dr. Wang specializes in bringing therapeutics from bench to bedside, through innovative discovery, translational and investigational new drug (IND)-enabling studies, current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) manufacturing, and ultimately clinical trials in both human and companion animal patients.
Dr. Wang has been serving as PI on numerous major research grants supported by NIH/NIBIB, NIH/NICHD, NIH/NINDS, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), the University of California Center for Accelerated Innovation (UC-CAI), the Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program of California (TRDRP), Shriners Hospital for Children and other foundations. Dr. Wang holds more than 20 US and international patents and patent applications, and has published over 190 peer-reviewed papers in top-tier journals, such as Nature Nanotechnology, Nature Communications, ACS Nano, Advanced Functional Materials, Bioactive Materials, Biomaterials, Journal of Extracellular Vesicles, Stem Cells, Stem Cells Translational Medicine, and Theranostics. Dr. Wang has received numerous awards, such as the Deloitte QB3 Award for Innovation (2012), the Tony Phillips Research Award (2014) from the Children’s Miracle Network (CMN), the Basil O’Connor Starter Scholar Research Award (2016) from the March of Dimes Foundation, the Technology Development Award (2017) from the NIH/NHLBI through University of California Center for Accelerated Innovation (UC CAI), the UC Davis Health Deans’ Fellowship (2018), UC Davis Health Dean's Team Award for Excellence in Research (2020), UC Davis Chancellor's Fellowship (2020), UC Davis School of Medicine Cultivating Team Science Award (2022), University of California Davis School of Medicine Dean’s Award for Excellence in Research (2025), the KidneyX: Redesign Dialysis Phase 2 Innovation award (2020) from the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Sacramento Region Innovation Award (2021). Dr. Wang was inducted into the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) College of Fellows in 2024.
Ananth Kumar Kammala, Associate Professor, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
Ananth Kumar Kammala Biographical Sketch
Dr. Ananth Kumar Kammala, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB). His research focuses on transporter protein biology, extracellular vesicle-mediated communication, and reproductive pharmacology at the feto-maternal interface. He pioneered the concept of exofection, demonstrating functional transfer of transporter proteins via extracellular vesicles. His work integrates molecular biology, organ-on-chip systems, and translational models to develop innovative therapeutic strategies for pregnancy-related disorders.
Cheemeng Tan, Chancellor’s Fellow, Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California-Davis
Cheemeng Tan Biographical Sketch
Dr. Cheemeng Tan is a Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of California, Davis. His group integrates synthetic and systems biology to engineer nanovesicles and “cyborg” cells for disease therapy and diagnostics. Dr. Tan earned a B.Eng. (First-Class Honors) from the National University of Singapore, an M.Sc. in High-Performance Computing from the Singapore-MIT Alliance, and a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Duke University (2010). He completed a Lane Postdoctoral Fellowship at Carnegie Mellon University before joining UC Davis in 2013. His work has been recognized with several awards, including the Medtronic Fellowship, Young Investigator Grant from the Human Frontier Science Program, Scialog Fellow, Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering New Innovator, UC Davis Chancellor’s Fellow award, UC Davis Lab Safety Award, Branco Weiss Fellowship - Society in Science, NIH-NIBIB Trailblazer, and NIH-NIGMS MIRA. He serves on multiple editorial boards and scientific panels, notably as a standing member in the NIH Cellular and Molecular Technologies study section. He has published extensively on cell-free systems and cell engineering, helping to shape the emerging discipline of translational synthetic biology.
Eunji Chung, Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Director of the Transformative Center for Nanomedicine and Drug Delivery, University of Southern California
Eunji Chung Biographical Sketch
Eunji Chung is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Southern California and the Dr. Karl Jacob Jr. and Karl Jacob III Early Career Chair. She is the Founding Director of the USC Transformative Center for Nanomedicine and Drug Delivery. Dr. Chung has a courtesy appointment in Chemical Engineering, Medicine (Nephrology and Hypertension), Surgery (Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy), and Pharmacy at USC, and is an affiliated faculty of the Norris Cancer Center and the Stem Cells department. Her laboratory is interested in developing nano- to macroscale biomaterials that can be utilized in medicine. Dr. Chung received her B.A. with honors in Molecular Biology from Scripps College, her Ph.D. from the Department of Biomedical Engineering from Northwestern University, and her postdoctoral training from the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago. Dr. Chung is a Fellow of BMES, AIMBE, and AHA and an Associate Editor for Bioactive Materials. She has garnered a variety of honors including the K99/R00 NIH Pathway to Independence Award, AIChE 35 Under 35, NIH Director’s New Innovator Award (DP2), and the AHA Transformational Project Award, and is currently part of the NIDDK U54 Kidney O’Brien Center.
Hsueh-Chia Chang, Bayer Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Co-Founder & CTO of Aopia Biosciences
Hsueh-Chia Chang Biographical Sketch
Professor Hsueh-Chia Chang is the Bayer Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Notre Dame. He has been at Notre Dame since 1987 and has served as the department chair and the director of the Center for Microfluidics and Nanofluidics. His research is in the area of micro/nanofluidics and diagnostics, particularly integrated devices for the isolation and characterization of exosomes and other nanocarriers. His research has resulted in 19 patented technologies, eight of them have been licensed by four startups: Cubed Laboratories, AgenDx, ImpeDx and Aopia Biosciences. Products developed from these IPs include CRDTM Botrytis Detection kit by CubedLabs and NanoExTM exosome purification technology by Aopia Bio. Professor Chang served as the Chief Scientific Advisor of FCubed LLC (predecessor of CubedLabs) for 4 years. He co-founded Aopia Bio in 2019 and currently serves as its interim CTO and Board member. Professor Chang has published more than 300 papers and has a Google h-index of 79. He is the co-author of a seminal book in microfluidics: "Electrokinetically Driven Microfluidics and Nanofluidics" by Cambridge University Press in 2009. Professor Chang founded a new journal, Biomicrofluidics of the American Institute of Physics, in 2006 and served for 12 years as its Chief Editor. More than 35 PhD and post-doc students from his laboratory have embarked on academic careers as tenure-track professors in all engineering and science disciplines over 5 continents (15 in the US), including Duke, Imperial, Johns Hopkins etc. They include a chancellor, a Provost, three Department Chairs, four endowed chairs and five NSF Career Awardees. Industrial alumni from his group hold manager/director positions at Merck, Gilead, Alcon, Genentech and other major biotech and world-leading microfluidic companies. Professor Chang is a fellow of APS, NAI and AIMBE. His microfluidics work has been recognized by the Frenkiel Award from APS, the Lifetime Achievement Award from AES and the 1st Source Bank Commercialization Award. He has also won the Notre Dame Provost Research Achievement Award and was recognized at half time during the 2024 game against Stanford.
Marley Dewey, Assistant Professor of Bioengineering, University of California-Santa Barbara
Marley Dewey Biographical Sketch
Dr. Marley Dewey is an Assistant Professor of Bioengineering at the University of California Santa Barbara. Dr. Dewey earned her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Maine and her Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. During her graduate career, she was a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow, won various art of science contests, and was awarded the Annual Innovation Award for Outstanding PhD Thesis from the University of Illinois. After her graduate career, she was a postdoctoral NIH TL1 Clinical and Translational Science Fellow at the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh. Her lab studies how biomaterials and extracellular vesicles can be leveraged to discover treatments for bone cancer, accelerate bone repair, prevent bone infection, and restore coral reefs. Specifically, her lab combines biomaterials with a new type of extracellular vesicle found embedded within tissues throughout the body, termed matrix-bound nanovesicles.
Mei He, Associate Professor, University of Florida -- Conference Co-Chairperson
Mei He Biographical Sketch
Dr. He is an associate professor from the Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy at the University of Florida. She obtained her PhD degree from the University of Alberta and postdoc training from the University of California, Berkeley. Dr. He is the Editorial Board member of Pharmaceutics and AAPS Scientific Programming Committee Track Leader, as well as the Advisory Board Member of journal Lab on Chip (LOC). Her journal review efforts have been recognized as the Outstanding Reviewers in 2018, 2020, and 2021 from the LOC Royal Society of Chemistry. Dr. He Received NIH Maximizing Investigator’s Research Award for Early Stage Investigators in 2019, and she also received the LOC Emerging Investigator Award in 2019. Her multiple publications received the Most Download Articles of 2016 (LOC), the Featured Cover Story of 2018 (LOC), Technology Readers Choice Award of 2018 (SLAS), and Top 100 Read Articles of 2019 (Scientific Reports from Nature Publishing Group). Her recent publication is appeared in the journal of Nature Biomedical Engineering and highlighted as the Editorial Story. Dr. He research brings in novel technology platforms for differentiating, isolating, and intravesicular loading exosomes precisely, which presents a new way for developing precision medicine Dr. He’s innovation leads to 17 pending and issued patents and have been licensed by multiple companies and commercialized on the market. Particularly, she founded a few startup companies for advancing the innovative exosome research.
Noah Malmstadt, Professor, Mork Family Dept. of Chemical Engineering & Materials Science, University of Southern California -- Conference Co-Chairperson
Noah Malmstadt Biographical Sketch
Noah Malmstadt is Professor at the University of Southern California. He received a BS in Chemical Engineering from Caltech and a PhD in Bioengineering from the University of Washington. Following postdoctoral work at UCLA, he joined the Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at USC in 2007. Malmstadt is the recipient of a 2012 Office of Naval Research Young Investigator award. His research focuses on microfluidic strategies to facilitate material fabrication and biophysical analysis. He has pioneered the integration of ionic liquids as solvents in droplet microreactors and the application of microfluidic systems to synthesizing biomimetic cell membranes. Microfluidic analytical techniques he has developed include methods for measuring the permeability of cell membranes to druglike molecules and techniques for measuring ionic currents through membrane proteins.
Steve Soper, Foundation Distinguished Professor, Director, Center of BioModular Multi-Scale System for Precision Medicine, The University of Kansas
Steve Soper Biographical Sketch
Professor Soper (since 2016) is a Foundation Distinguished Professor in Chemistry and Mechanical Engineering at the University of Kansas. At KUMC, Prof. Soper holds an adjunct appointment in the Cancer Biology Department and is a member of the KU Cancer Center. He also holds an appointment at Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology in Ulsan, South Korea, where he is a World Class University Professor.
As a result of his efforts, Prof. Soper has secured extramural funding totaling >$125M, has published over 245 peer-reviewed manuscripts (h index = 70; >17,000 citations); 31 book chapters and 71 peer-reviewed conference proceeding papers, and is the author of 12 patents. He is also the founder of a startup company, BioFluidica, which is marketing devices for the isolation and enumeration of liquid biopsy markers. Soper recently founded a second company, Sunflower Genomics, which is seeking to market a new DNA/RNA single-molecule sequencing platform. His list of awards includes Ralph Adams Award in Bioanalytical Chemistry, Chemical Instrumentation by the American Chemical Society, the Benedetti-Pichler Award for Microchemistry, Fellow of the AAAS, Fellow of Applied Spectroscopy, Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, R&D 100 Award, Distinguished Masters Award at LSU and Outstanding Scientist/Engineer in the state of Louisiana in 2001. Finally, Prof. Soper has granted 50 PhDs and 7 MS degrees to students under his mentorship. He currently heads a group of 15 researchers.
His major discoveries include: (1) Technology for the detection of liquid biopsy markers that can manage a variety of diseases using a simple blood test (test has been demonstrated in multiple myeloma, pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, pancreatic, breast, colorectal, prostate, and ovarian cancers); (2) new hardware and assay for the point-of-care diagnosis of acute ischemic stroke; (3) single-molecule DNA and RNA sequencing nanotechnology; and (4) currently working on a home-test for COVID-19 infections (handheld instrument and the associated assay.
Sven Kreutel, CEO, Particle Metrix, Inc.
Sven Kreutel Biographical Sketch
Sven Kreutel studied biology at the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart, Germany. After his graduation in biology, he received his PhD in microbiology and protein biochemistry at the University of Hohenheim under Prof. Dr. Andreas Kuhn and Dr. Dorothee Kiefer working on the light sensing and signal transduction in photosynthetic bacteria. Since then he worked in different sales and sales manager positions within the life science industry from clinical research over biology to nanoparticle sciences. In 2021 he was appointed as CEO of the American subsidiary of Particle Metrix.
08:00
27 October 2026
Conference Entrance
Participants Check-In
Conference Registration, Materials Pick-Up, Continental Breakfast and Networking
09:00
27 October 2026
Crystal Ballroom II
Chairperson Welcome
Mei He, Associate Professor, University of Florida, United States of America -- Conference Co-Chairperson
Welcome and Introduction to the Conference by Conference Co-Chairperson
09:10
27 October 2026
Crystal Ballroom II
Plenary Presentation
Steve Soper, Foundation Distinguished Professor, Director, Center of BioModular Multi-scale System for Precision Medicine, The University of Kansas, United States of America
Presentation Title to be Confirmed
09:40
27 October 2026
Crystal Ballroom II
Plenary Presentation
Aijun Wang, Chancellor's Fellow Professor of Surgery and of Biomedical Engineering, University of California-Davis (UC Davis), United States of America
Presentation Title to be Confirmed
10:10
27 October 2026
Crystal Ballroom II
Plenary Presentation
Hsueh-Chia Chang, Bayer Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Co-Founder & CTO of Aopia Biosciences, United States of America
Presentation Title to be Confirmed
10:40
27 October 2026
Exhibit Hall
Mid-Morning Coffee Break and Networking with the Exhibitors
11:30
27 October 2026
Crystal Ballroom II
Technology Spotlight Presentation
Sven Kreutel, CEO, Particle Metrix, Inc.
Presentation Title to be Confirmed
12:00
27 October 2026
Crystal Ballroom II
Cheemeng Tan, Chancellor’s Fellow, Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California-Davis, United States of America
High-Throughput and Cell-Free Engineering of Synthetic Extracellular Vesicles
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are promising therapeutic carriers secreted by living cells. However, conventional surface engineering of EVs is slow, noisy, and requires tedious cell culturing. Here, we present a cell-free platform that programs or mimics EVs. The approach synthesizes membrane and surface proteins in vitro and inserts them co-translationally into synthetic or native EVs. Our platform consisted of high-throughput and cell-free engineering of nanovesicles, machine learning, and high-resolution single-EV measurements. In addition, we study the efficacy of the synthetic EVs for treating various diseases, including neuroprotection and cell/tissue damage. Our cell-free platform enables the rapid prototyping of EVs, opening doors to creating superior EV-based therapeutics for broad biomedical applications.
12:30
27 October 2026
Crystal Ballroom II
Ananth Kumar Kammala, Associate Professor, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, United States of America
Dynamic Regulation and Extracellular Vesicle-Mediated Functional Transfer of Transporter Proteins During Pregnancy
Transporter proteins such as P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and BCRP are critical regulators of drug and molecular transport at the human feto-maternal interface, protecting the fetus and maintaining pregnancy homeostasis. While traditionally studied at the level of gene and protein expression, their functional activity is dynamically regulated by cellular interactions and inflammatory signals. In this presentation, we introduce exofection, a novel mechanism in which extracellular vesicles transfer fully functional transporter proteins between cells, restoring efflux activity independent of gene expression. This discovery reveals a new paradigm in transporter regulation with significant implications for fetal drug exposure, barrier function, and the development of extracellular vesicle-based therapeutics.
13:00
27 October 2026
Exhibit Hall
Networking Lunch -- Meet and Engage with the Exhibitors, Sponsors and Colleagues
14:00
27 October 2026
Crystal Ballroom II
Marley Dewey, Assistant Professor of Bioengineering, University of California-Santa Barbara, United States of America
Engineering Extracellular Vesicles in the Extracellular Matrix
The extracellular matrix plays a pivotal role in wound repair, cancer, aging, disease, and more, and recently, a new type of extracellular vesicle (EV) was found to reside within this matrix. These extracellular vesicles, termed matrix-bound nanovesicles (MBVs), are distinct from other types of EVs and recapitulate many of the features of the native extracellular matrix from which they are derived. I will present the recent work ongoing in my lab on the characterization and engineering applications of MBVs. Specifically, we characterize differences of MBVs from other types of EVs, including their therapeutic potential as drivers of wound repair and their link to the extracellular matrix. I will also discuss our methods of combining MBV with biomaterials to control their delivery to overcome one of the major bottlenecks in EV therapeutics: rapid systemic clearance by the body.
14:30
27 October 2026
Crystal Ballroom II
Eunji Chung, Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Director of the Transformative Center for Nanomedicine and Drug Delivery, University of Southern California, United States of America
New Approaches Using EVs and LNPs for Kidney Diseases
Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is a prevalent genetic disorder leading to renal failure. Current treatments provide limited benefits and do not address the underlying genetic defect. Here, we develop targeted lipid nanoparticles (LNP) and extracellular vesicles (EVs) as platforms for the delivery of mRNA, microRNA, and protein to renal cells. A focused LNP library identified an optimized formulation, which, when functionalized with targeting peptides, enabled selective delivery to cyst-forming cells. In ADPKD mouse models, systemic administration of therapeutic LNPs restored protein expression, reduced cyst burden, and suppressed fibrotic and inflammatory signaling in ADPKD models. Additionally, EVs derived from urine from wildtype backgrounds contained cargo missing in the disease and inhibited disease progression in vivo. These findings demonstrate that LNPs and EVs can be used to restore renal function and reverse disease in genetic kidney diseases such as ADPKD.