From Yogurt to Healing: Injectable Hydrogels Powered by Milk-Derived Nanovesicles

Milk EVs hydrogel regenerative medicine

In an astonishing leap for regenerative medicine, researchers at Columbia Engineering have developed a new class of injectable hydrogels powered by extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from milk—specifically, from yogurt. These naturally occurring nanovesicles not only deliver bioactive signals to surrounding tissues but also structurally crosslink the hydrogel network itself, enabling a new breed of biomaterials with therapeutic potential.

Published in the journal Matter on July 25, 2025, the study titled “Extracellular vesicles as dynamic crosslinkers for bioactive injectable hydrogels” was led by Prof. Santiago Correa, a biomedical engineer at Columbia University, in collaboration with colleagues from the University of Padova and several international institutions. Their findings introduce a scalable, modular platform for designing injectable, biocompatible materials that closely mimic the body’s natural healing environment.

What Are Extracellular Vesicles (EVs)?

EVs are tiny lipid-bound particles released by cells that serve as biological messengers, transporting proteins, lipids, and genetic material between cells. In nature, they are key players in cell-to-cell communication and immune modulation. However, producing synthetic biomaterials that leverage EVs’ full potential has been notoriously challenging due to low yields and processing issues—until now.

Using milk-derived EVs from yogurt, Correa’s team solved this bottleneck. These agricultural EVs proved not only abundant and scalable, but also surprisingly potent in promoting angiogenesis and tissue regeneration in preclinical studies. This novel approach sidesteps the need for synthetic additives and provides a sustainable supply chain grounded in agriculture and biotechnology.

The Dual Role of Milk EVs in Hydrogel Design

In this innovative platform, EVs do more than deliver biological signals—they actually help form the hydrogel’s 3D structure by dynamically crosslinking biocompatible polymers. The result is a highly tunable, injectable material that can be administered directly into damaged tissues, where it activates healing processes.

Artemis Margaronis, an NSF graduate research fellow and co-author, explained: "Being able to design a material that closely mimics the body's natural environment while also speeding up the healing process opens a new world of possibilities for regenerative medicine."

Biocompatibility, Immune Modulation, and Healing Power

When injected into immunocompetent mice, the EV-loaded hydrogels showed no signs of inflammation or rejection. Instead, they promoted robust angiogenesis—the formation of new blood vessels—and enriched the immune environment with anti-inflammatory cell types. These are key indicators of successful tissue regeneration and long-term healing.

This opens up exciting avenues for therapies in wound healing, organ repair, and immunomodulation. Furthermore, the hydrogels have been tested with EVs from mammalian and bacterial sources, suggesting the approach is highly modular and adaptable for diverse biomedical applications.

Global Collaboration and a Future for Sustainable Biotech

This project is also a shining example of interdisciplinary and international collaboration. By combining the Padova team’s agricultural EV sourcing expertise with Columbia’s cutting-edge polymer and immunoengineering research, the team is redefining what’s possible in biofabrication and personalized medicine.

Prof. Correa, who leads the Nanoscale Immunoengineering Lab at Columbia and is affiliated with the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, believes these results are only the beginning. The lab is now exploring how immune response modulation by these materials can be tuned for specific healing outcomes.

A Yogurt-Powered Future of Medicine?

It may sound whimsical, but yogurt could soon be a source of high-tech, injectable biomaterials that heal wounds and regenerate tissues. As agriculture, nanotechnology, and medicine increasingly intersect, innovations like this offer not only scientific breakthroughs but also a path to sustainable, accessible healthcare technologies.

The full article is available at ScienceDaily – July 29, 2025.

Reference

  • Artemis Margaronis, Caterina Piunti, Ryan R. Hosn, et al. “Extracellular vesicles as dynamic crosslinkers for bioactive injectable hydrogels.” Matter, 2025. DOI: 10.1016/j.matt.2025.102340

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