Lightning Talk Australia and New Zealand Society for Extracellular Vesicles Conference 2025

Acoustic Wave - driven stimulation and nanoparticle loading of Extracellular vesicles for enhanced therapeutic delivery. (#114)

Nandini Nandini 1 2 , Lizebona A Ambattu 2 , Leslie Yeo 2 , Deepika Sharma 1
  1. Chemical Biology, Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST), Mohali, Punjab, India
  2. RMIT, Australia, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have emerged as promising natural nanocarriers for therapeutic delivery due to their biocompatibility and intrinsic cell-targeting capabilities. However, their clinical translation remains limited by low production yield and inefficient cargo loading. In this study, we present a novel acoustically driven platform that simultaneously enhances EV biogenesis and facilitates efficient nanoparticle encapsulation. Application of precisely tuned surface acoustic waves (SAWs) to cultured cells resulted in a 20-fold increase in EV production after 7 acoustic cycles, while maintaining cell viability above 80% over a 48-hour incubation period. Acoustic stimulation also enabled nanoparticle loading via transient membrane permeabilization, preserving EV integrity. Building on this platform, we are currently developing magnetic nanoparticle-loaded EVs for magnetic hyperthermia therapy, offering a contactless, scalable, and biocompatible strategy for multifunctional therapeutic delivery. Our findings highlight the potential of acoustic wave technology in EV engineering and its application in targeted cancer therapy and precision nanomedicine.

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