U#3888_MH_ResearchReport (S)

Monash Health
Hudson Institute Research Group Head, Dr Rebecca Lim.
Photo courtesy of Hudson Institute of Medical Research
The future of stem cell
therapies
What if the regenerative properties
of stem cells – their ability to repair
tissue – could be explained by
nanoparticles containing potent
biological ‘cargo’ released by
these cells?
Dr Rebecca Lim, head of the Amnion
Cell Biology Group, is at the forefront
of the next generation of cell-free
regenerative medicine.
Exosome therapeutics are a new
alternative to traditional stem cell
therapies and Dr Lim is taking a
pioneering approach using amnion
epithelial stem cells.
Dr Lim is a lead investigator on
multiple clinical trials using these cells
to repair scarred and damaged cells in
chronic, premature lung disease and
end-stage liver fibrosis – diseases at
opposite ends of the human lifespan.
While current stem cell therapy
approaches are promising, there
are challenges that limit their use,
including high production costs and
the need for specialised equipment
to store, transport and prepare
these treatments.
Based on her team’s research, Dr Lim
is developing a low-cost, cell-free
regenerative treatment using exosomes
extracted from amnion epithelial
stem cells.
In December, Dr Lim was awarded
a prestigious project grant from
the National Health and Medical
Research Council (NHMRC) to
investigate amniotic exosomes as a
potential off-the-shelf treatment for
bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD).
“BPD is a chronic lung disease that
occurs in babies born too early. It’s
expensive to treat and complications
from treatment can lead to lifelong
health problems,” Dr Lim says.
“Our vision is to develop a treatment
that could be administered easily and
cost-effectively to preterm babies with
BPD – even by parents after babies are
discharged from hospital.”
What are exosomes?
Exosomes, or cell-derived
vesicles, are naturally occurring
particles approximately 1/1000 th
the size of a fine grain of sand.
They are present in many bodily
fluids. Many cells, including
amnion epithelial cells (stem cells
found in the innermost layer of
the placenta), release exosomes,
which contain important proteins
and other genetic material that
can be transferred to other cells
where they can affect function
and physiology.
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