Nanosized vesicles in food – new superfoods, biosensor solutions, and nutrient-derived biological drugs
The NutriEV project specifically examines tiny, nanometer-sized lipid vesicles, known as extracellular vesicles, originating from food and the gut. These vesicles carry molecules throughout the body, influencing processes such as metabolism. The aim of the research is to better understand how these vesicles contribute to the regulation of the body's balance and how changes in their molecular composition can predispose individuals to metabolic disorders, such as obesity.
"A key objective of the research is to better understand how nutrient-derived vesicles regulate metabolism by transporting various molecules, such as DNA, RNA, proteins, and sugar structures," explains Seppo Vainio, Professor of developmental biology. The research is based on the knowledge that vesicles from both the body and food sources can cross biological barriers, such as the intestinal wall, and enter the bloodstream, reaching other organs. Structurally altered vesicles can influence the development of diseases.
The research aims to develop new biotechnological applications, such as nutrient-based precision medicines and biosensors, which leverage the ability of vesicles to transport molecular contents into cells. The project also explores the potential to use vesicles in food products to create so-called superfoods. In clinical trials, researchers will test the use of food-derived vesicles in medical applications, as well as the health effects of vesicles enriched from food products.
The research is conducted in collaboration with international partners. During the four-year project, researchers in Germany will develope antibodies that recognize food-derived vesicles, researchers in Denmark will be studying the sugar structures contained in vesicles, and the Italian partner provides the research team with vesicles isolated from plants and their cell cultures.
In Oulu, the research focuses particularly on how vesicles derived from food and the gut affect the reprogramming of the body's overall metabolism. Researchers in Oulu are also examining the role of these vesicles in transporting molecules and drugs. Additionally, the aim is to develop new non-invasive biomonitoring technologies that could help monitor dietary diversity and prevent diseases using this information.
The European Innovation Council (EIC) has awarded the NutriEV research project nearly four million euros in funding. NutriEV is the first EIC project at the University of Oulu to receive funding and is also the first EIC project coordinated by the University of Oulu.