Abstract

Exosome Engineering for Protein Delivery Via Optogenetic Approach

Chulhee Choi, Professor, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST); President, ILIAS Biologics Incorporated

In this presentation, an opto-genetically engineered exosome system, named ‘exosomes for protein loading via optically reversible protein–protein interaction” (EXPLOR) that can deliver soluble proteins into the cytosol via controlled, reversible protein–protein interactions (PPI) will be introduced. By integrating a reversible PPI module controlled by blue light with the endogenous process of exosome biogenesis, cargo proteins can be loaded into newly generated exosomes. Treatment with protein-loaded EXPLORs was shown to significantly increase intracellular levels of cargo proteins and their function in recipient cells in both a time- and dose-dependent manner. Previously, it has been shown to delivery mCherry, Cre enzyme, Bax, and Super repressor I?B proteins as functional proteins in the target cells and in vivo. In this presentation, the results for follow-up studies will also be discussed.