Extracellular Vesicle–Mediated Mechanisms and Therapeutic Targeting in Viral Myocarditis

Viral myocarditis is an inflammatory heart disease that can lead to heart failure or sudden death, especially in children and young adults. It currently has no approved treatments. This project investigates tiny particles called extracellular vesicles (EVs), which are released by infected heart cells and can spread viral material while triggering harmful inflammation. We aim to understand how these EVs contribute to heart injury and immune responses, and to develop a novel therapy using engineered EVs to deliver a specialized drug directly to heart cells. This drug targets the harmful EVs while the engineered EVs support heart repair. This approach could reduce heart damage, improve recovery, and provide a new treatment strategy for viral myocarditis and other inflammatory heart conditions.