Thank you to everyone who participated in the recent ATCC Innovation Challenge! In this challenge, we called upon innovators throughout the scientific community to submit a proposal of how they are currently using or plan to use ATCC exosomes in new, interesting, or daring applications. 

After receiving numerous submissions, we are pleased to announce the winners of the challenge below. We’re proud to be a part of this incredible research and we look forward to these innovative ideas coming to fruition.

Fatah Kashanchi, George Mason University
In this study, researchers will compare side-by-side the repair effects of cancer versus normal extracellular vesicles in cancer development. They will utilize repair assays in 2-D and 3-D cultures post DNA damage or autophagy inhibitor treatment and will look for cancer cell development over a long period of time to determine if cancer extracellular vesicles not only perform immediate repair but also contribute to cancer development.

Lance Liotta and Fatah Kashanchi, George Mason University
In this innovative research, the scientists plan to examine the rate of repair when extracellular vesicles (MSC or iPSC) are added to irradiated cancer cells. They hypothesize that cancer cells can reverse to normal differentiated cells when using extracellular vesicles post irradiation.

Farhang Alem and Fatah Kashanchi, George Mason University
These innovative experiments are designed to regulate the stem cells in mice using extracellular vesicles. The EVs will help the growth of stem cells, and if successful, the animals will show an increase in the number of mature cells in various tissues, thus enabling researchers to carry out various cancer and infectious disease studies.

Hameeda Sultana, University of Tennessee
In previous research, the team has demonstrated that Zika virus infection kills primary cultures of cortical neuronal cells at days 3-5 post infection. In this innovative study, the group will examine if treatment of neuronal cells with hTERT MSC exosomes will lead to the inhibition of virus replication, thus potentially protecting cortical neurons from death.

Subree Subramanian PhD, EV Therapeutics, Inc.
In this study, researchers will work toward finding novel treatments for colorectal cancer by establishing cGMP-grade extracellular vesicles from the HCT 116 colorectal cancer cell line. If successful, the results of this study will aid in the development of therapies that stimulate a tumor-specific immune response that could benefit patients with reduced T cell function.

Jeremy Schaefer, Celltex
In this innovative study, ATCC hTERT MSC exosomes will be used in a modified T cell immunosuppression assay to evaluate the immunomodulatory potential of the exosomes. The ultimate goal of the study is to use the hTERT MSC exosomes as controls for characterizing and developing adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes for therapy.

Tejeshwar Rao, University of Alabama at Birmingham
In this study, researchers will visualize the changes in cell mechanics, adhesion, and spreading of lung cancer cell lines as a consequence of exosome treatment to identify the role of exosomes in modulating cellular behavior in the tumor microenvironment.

Runjie Yuan, UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
In this study, researchers will focus on the compositional quantification of affinity-purified exosomes isolated from cancer cell lines and will use super-resolution microscopy (dSTORM) to image exosomes displaying novel biomarkers.

Kenneth Mitton, Oakland University - Eye Research Institute
Retinal vascular diseases are responsible for most new cases of blindness in the United States each year. In this study, the researchers are exploring the use of different compounds to find ways to reactivate the regeneration of lost and damaged retinal capillaries from endogenous endothelial stem cells, and they hypothesize that MSC exosomes could potentially promote responses that would benefit this process.