Research Projects

Anxiety disorders are mental conditions marked by persistent and excessive fear or anxiety lasting for months. They have become a major public health concern worldwide, with incidence rates rising sharply in recent decades. This trend underscores the urgent need for research into their underlying mechanisms and potential new therapies. The hippocampus is a critical brain region involved in cognition. Evidence have shown that hippocampal dysregulation is related with anxiety. The body’s response to stress is governed by a network of molecular pathways, among which microRNAs (miRNAs) play a pivotal role. These small, non-coding RNAs are crucial regulators of neuronal and synaptic plasticity and are increasingly recognized for their involvement in various neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders. Notably, certain miRNAs such as miR-148a, miR-423-5p, and miR-26a are dysregulated in anxiety and other neurological behaviours. Recent studies have increasingly recognized milk derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) as a potentially economical, effective tool for possible therapeutic agent in various disease conditions. EVs are lipid-bound particles secreted by cells that are involved in cellular cross talk by transporting key biomolecules such as proteins, lipids, nucleic acids, and miRNAs. Of particular interest are milk-derived EVs, which have the unique ability to cross the brain endothelial barrier and accumulate in key brain areas like the hippocampus and are associated with improvements in spatial learning and memory, and promote anti-inflammatory response. Report shows that human breast milk EVs, positively improves the cognitive development in infants. Presence of miRNAs (miR-148a, miR-26a and miR-423-5p) in milk EVs that are downregulated during anxiety related behaviours and role of milk EVs in anxiety-related behaviours and underlying mechanisms remain largely unexplored. Taking altogether, we hypothesize that milk-derived EVs can restore behavioural and molecular functions in the brain following chronic unpredictable mild stress. To assess this, milk derived EVs will be isolated and characterized using ultracentrifugation and miRNA extraction. The anxiety-related behaviours will be evaluated using the Open field test, the Elevated plus maze, the Light and dark box test, and the Novel object recognition experiment. Furthermore, to assess the relevant biomarkers involved in anxiety-like conditions, molecular and cellular changes in the hippocampus will be evaluated using qRT-PCR and Western blot assessments. Overall, the current research work aims to examine the role of milk derived EVs on stress-related behaviours in a mouse model of chronic unpredictable mild stress.