I am Shreya Bhat, and I come from Karnataka, a southern state in India. I completed my Master’s by Research in Biotherapeutics at Manipal University, India, from 2022 to 2024, where I primarily focused on optimizing the isolation of extracellular vesicles—a key component of the secretome—derived from bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs).

After graduating, I returned to my alma mater for a six-month research internship, where I dove into the fascinating challenge of transforming chia seed mucilage into hydrogels designed for wound healing applications—combining a bit of kitchen chemistry with cutting-edge biomedical science.

During my master’s and internship, I participated in journal clubs, led my own research project on extracellular vesicles, published a review article on the same, and taught practical classes to my juniors. These experiences not only kept me on my toes but also gave me a hands-on appreciation for the “how’s” and “why’s” of research, turning every day in the lab into a lively mix of discovery, discussion, and friendly scientific debate.

In the MSCA DN “SECRET” project, I will be a PhD student at Uniklinikum Essen, where my research will primarily focus on immortalizing the most potent perinatal mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) to overcome batch-to-batch variation, which otherwise challenges the maintenance of cell homogeneity. Following immortalization, I will optimize the extracellular vesicle (EV) isolation process from these cells for scalable production. Additionally, my role involves developing endothelial cell–based assays to validate the immunomodulatory effects of perinatal MSC-derived EVs for vascular applications.

Currently, I am working on establishing in vitro inflammation models using TNFα-induced human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) to assess how these EVs modulate inflammatory markers such as ICAM-1 and VCAM-1. This research aims to create a robust, clinically translatable framework for effective MSC-EV therapies that address the critical issue of batch heterogeneity.

As a result of my work, I hope to deliver a robust, clinically translatable framework for MSC-EV therapies that finally puts batch heterogeneity in its place. Being part of the project “Exploring the therapeutic potential of perinatal cell SECRETomes” is an exciting opportunity because not only do I get to push the boundaries of secretome-based therapeutics, but I also get to collaborate with brilliant minds across Europe to tackle some of the biggest unmet needs in regenerative medicine. It’s science, teamwork, and innovation all rolled into one adventure.