Microbiota-Derived Extracellular Vesicles as a Postbiotic Strategy to Combat Rotavirus in Neonatal Rats
Rotavirus (RV) remains a leading cause of acute gastroenteritis in children under five, particularly in low-income countries where vaccine efficacy is limited. In a groundbreaking study, Laura Baldoma and her team from the Universitat de Barcelona investigated the potential of microbiota-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) as a postbiotic strategy to alleviate diarrhea and enhance immunity in RV-infected neonatal rats.
Their findings demonstrate that EVs from probiotic and commensal E. coli strains significantly boost humoral and cellular immunity while improving intestinal function. Notably, EcN EVs enhanced intestinal maturation and barrier properties, while EcoR12 EVs activated immune-related pathways. These results suggest that probiotic/microbiota EVs could serve as adjuvants to enhance the efficacy of anti-RV vaccines.
Laura Baldoma will present these findings at the Second World Congress on Targeting Extracellular Vesicles on October 15-16, 2025, in Valencia, Spain.
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