S3 - Symposium 1

Stress packaged and delivered: extracellular vesicles as intercellular messengers

Monteleone, Melisa Carolina ^1,2

1) Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas (IIB), Universidad Nacional de San Martín (UNSAM) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), San Martín, Argentina
2) Escuela de Bio y Nanotecnología (EByN), Universidad Nacional de San Martín, San Martín, Argentina
Contacto: mmonteleone@iib.unsam.edu.ar

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) function as molecular messengers of chronic stress. Stress modifies the protein content of serum EVs in mice, including brain-enriched proteins like M6a. Remarkably, these EVs—when administered intranasally to naïve mice—can induce stress-like behavioral and molecular responses. Proteomic analysis reveals stress-related cargo linked to neuroplasticity and psychiatric disorders. These results position EVs as active mediators of intercellular communication under stress and as promising non-invasive biomarkers and targets for intervention in stress-related conditions.