MILKEVIA

Valorising milk as natural resource for therapeutic purpose: bovine milk Extracellular Vesicles (mEVs) as anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory agents

ABSTRACT

Milk is not only a natural resource as a food, but also provides essential bioactive components for the development of the newborn immune system. A key role in these processes has been linked to extracellular vesicles (EVs), which are particularly abundant in milk (mEVs). EVs are micro- and nano-sized structures enclosed in a bilayered phospholipid membrane, which mainly function as carriers of delivery of messages/a plethora of molecules from producer to recipient cells. Adsorption of miRNAs through endocytosis of EVs after milk ingestion can regulate innate and adaptive immunity also through epigenetic changes. Milk is one of the most promising sources of EVs, mEVs can cross biological barriers and resist acidification in the gastric environment. Preliminary studies on bovine mEVs have demonstrated anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties able to alleviate the symptoms of human inflammatory bowel disease. These properties can also be exploited in veterinary medicine against diseases with pathogenesis also attributable to an inflammatory state such as mastitis in dairy cows and enteritis in pigs. Clinical and subclinical mastitis represent a major cause of economic losses in the dairy sector worldwide. The etiological agents include a variety of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria and antibiotics represent the primary therapy for the control of mastitis in dairy herds. Similarly, enteric colibacillosis in pigs is responsible for significant economic losses, reduced performance and contributes to the development of antimicrobial resistance due to the massive use of antibiotics in therapy.

Identification Code: Codice identificativo/Identification Code P2022CCJAE –  CUP: J53D23018290001

Total project cost: € 224.986

Total cost UNITUS: € 74.897

Total cost DAFNE: € 74.897

DAFNE Role: Lead Partener

Scientific Supervisor DAFNE: Prof. Nicola Lacetera

Email: nicgio@unitus.it

Start date: 29/11/2023

End date: 28/11/2025

LINK

https://www.unitus.it/ricerca/progetti-di-ricerca/progetti-prin-2022-pnrr/

PARTNERSHIP

Università degli studi di Perugia (UNIPG), Università degli studi di Roma Tor Vergata (UNIROMA2).

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Project funded by European Union

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