Engineering an extracellular vesicles-based transfection method for challenging-to-transfect cells

Conventional transfection methods often struggle to deliver plasmid DNA into challenging-to-transfect cells, such as primary cells, stem cells, and suspension immune cells, limiting progress in gene function studies and cell engineering. This project aims to develop a novel extracellular vesicle (EV)-based gene delivery platform. EVs naturally carry DNA, RNA, proteins, and lipids that mediate cell-to-cell communication, making them promising candidates for genetic material delivery. However, EVs face challenges such as limited DNA loading capacity, inefficient endosomal escape, and poor nuclear entry. This project will use cell-based engineering to address these limitations, creating a universal, non-toxic, and highly efficient DNA transfection system that can be implemented in standard labs. Overcoming these hurdles could unlock new possibilities in cell biology, biotechnology, and related fields.