Microfluidic Generation of Exosome-Mimetic Nanoparticles for Scalable Production and Enhanced Therapeutic Efficacy

The research team led by professor Hyo-Il Jung from the Department of Mechanical Engineering (co-first authors: Jaejeung Kim, Do Hyun Lee, Hyunjo Seo), has successfully established a microfluidic platform enabling continuous and scalable synthesis of exosome-mimetic nanoparticles (ENPs).
The team designed a reverse-Tesla structured microfluidic chip that maximizes the mixing efficiency of the nanoparticle generating solutions within the channel, achieving stable and homogeneous ENP synthesis. Furthermore,the researchers fabricated ENPs mimicking the lipid components of salivary gland stem cell-derived exosomes and encapsulating two antifibrotic microRNAs, which enhanced cellular uptake efficiency and wound healing performance compared to natural exosomes. Remarkably, this system achieved a production rate approximately 80,000 times faster than exosome isolation methods. This study, recognized as a core enabling technology for the commercialization of exosome-based therapeutics, was published in 'Small' (Impact Factor: 12.1, October 2025).

The link: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/smll.202506162