SCN-funded research team makes groundbreaking discovery, opening new doors in drug development for treatment of diseases such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy

December 12, 2024 (Ottawa) – The Stem Cell Network (SCN) is delighted to congratulate
Dr. Michael Rudnicki and his team at The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute on their remarkable discovery of the Exosome-Binding Peptide, an 18 amino acid tag that allows proteins to attach themselves to exosomes – tiny pinched-off pieces of cells that travel around the body and deliver biochemical signals.

This breakthrough research, funded in part by the Stem Cell Network, was recently published in Science Advances and has major implications for the promising field of exosome therapy, which seeks to harness exosomes to deliver drugs within the body for various diseases.

“This discovery marks a pivotal step in our understanding of how to effectively deliver proteins throughout the body,” said Dr. Michael Rudnicki, senior author of the study, Director of the Regenerative Medicine Program at The Ottawa Hospital and Scientific Director of the Stem Cell Network. “Proteins function as the body’s own homemade drugs, however, proteins don’t always travel well around the body. Our team’s discovery allows us to harness exosomes to deliver any protein throughout the body, thereby opening a new door in the field of drug development.”

Dr. Rudnicki and his team made their discovery within a protein called Wnt7a, which plays a critical role in development, growth, regeneration and cancer. First, they showed that Wnt7a can attach itself to exosomes. Then, they deleted various parts of the Wnt7a protein until they found the smallest part that was responsible for exosome-targeting. They called this part, an internal 18 amino acid sequence, the Exosome Binding Peptide (EBP). The team then discovered that the EBP binds to proteins called Coatomers on exosomes, and that EBP could be used to target different proteins to exosomes. By targeting Wnt7a to exosomes, the researchers resolved a longstanding challenge in delivering this protein for therapeutic purposes, and can now accelerate the development of drugs for devastating diseases such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

“On behalf of the Stem Cell Network, I want to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Dr. Rudnicki and his team on this extraordinary discovery,” said Cate Murray, President and CEO of the Stem Cell Network. “Unlocking the potential of exosomes for protein delivery is a significant step forward, and we are proud to support research that brings us closer to transformative treatments for Duchenne muscular dystrophy and other devastating diseases.”

From 2016 to 2025, SCN has committed over $148 million in research funding for stem cell and regenerative medicine research projects and clinical trials across the country, $3.5 million of which has been for innovative muscular dystrophy research.

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About the Stem Cell Network

The Stem Cell Network (SCN) is a national not-for-profit that funds stem cell and regenerative medicine (RM) research; trains the next generation of talent; enables knowledge mobilization of research; and enhances the commercialization readiness of stem cell and RM innovations. From the lab to the clinic, the SCN community is connected by a common vision: to transform lives through regenerative medicine. Created in 2001, with support from the Government of Canada, the Network has grown from a few dozen labs to more than 270 world-class research groups, supporting over 250 research projects and 30 clinical trials. Since its inception, over 25 biotech companies have been catalyzed or enhanced and more than 7,000 highly qualified personnel have been trained. In 2023, the Government of Canada announced additional funding for SCN through the Strategic Science Fund that will support SCN activities and research through to the end of the decade.

Media Contact:
Samantha Rae Ayoub
Vice President, Communications and Knowledge Mobilization
Stem Cell Network
srae@stemcellnetwork.ca