Milk derived exosomes (MDE) as a therapeutic modality in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).

IBD is a complex disorder that results from a dysregulated immune response in the gut. Current and emerging therapy for IBD treatment is mainly focused on regulation of the immune response. Exosomes are nanovesicle packing different molecules that transfer their cargo to recipient cells. Mammalian milk contains high concentrations of exosomes (MDE) carrying immune-related molecules. Our preliminary results demonstrate that MDE have a beneficial effect on experimental induced colitis. Based on these results we hypothesize, that MDE exert an anti-inflammatory immunomodulated effect on intestinal tissue. We plan to use specialized tools obtained or generated by our research groups to confirm this hypothesis and to assess how MDE might contribute to IBD treatment. In the long term we aim to study the effect of MDE on IBD patients. The use of MDE is a new promising therapeutic strategy using natural factors and safety compared to conventional immune suppression used for IBD.