Kaur Lab

Stem cells possess remarkable potential for tissue repair and regeneration; however, their therapeutic effectiveness is often limited by poor survival, uncontrolled differentiation, and inadequate interaction with the surrounding biological environment after transplantation. A major challenge in regenerative medicine is understanding how engineered biomaterials influence stem cell behavior and how these interactions can be leveraged to improve tissue healing and therapeutic outcomes.

The Kaur Lab develops and evaluates advanced biomaterial platforms designed to regulate stem cell function and fate. By combining principles of biomaterials science, cell biology, and tissue engineering, we investigate how the physical, chemical, and biological properties of biomaterials influence stem cell viability, proliferation, differentiation, and immunomodulatory activity. Our research utilizes innovative biomaterial scaffolds, extracellular vesicle technologies, and cell-material interaction studies to identify design strategies that enhance stem cell performance in therapeutic applications.

This research seeks to advance the development of next-generation regenerative therapies for a broad range of diseases and tissue injuries. By improving our understanding of biomaterial-stem cell interactions, we aim to create more effective and predictable treatment strategies that enhance tissue repair, reduce inflammation, and promote long-term functional recovery. The knowledge generated through this work has significant translational potential for applications in regenerative medicine, immune-mediated disorders, and personalized healthcare.

Autoimmune diseases occur when the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissues, resulting in chronic inflammation, progressive tissue damage, and impaired organ function. Current therapeutic approaches primarily rely on broad immunosuppressive agents that can increase susceptibility to infections, cause systemic side effects, and often fail to provide durable disease remission. There is a critical need for targeted therapeutic strategies that can selectively regulate aberrant immune responses while preserving normal immune function and maintaining long-term immune homeostasis.

The Kaur Lab develops chemically engineered extracellular vesicles (EVs) as next-generation immunomodulatory therapeutics for autoimmune diseases. Extracellular vesicles are naturally occurring nanoscale particles that mediate intercellular communication through the transfer of proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. By applying chemical engineering strategies, we enhance the targeting, stability, cargo delivery, and therapeutic functionality of EVs to improve their ability to regulate immune cell behavior.

Our research integrates extracellular vesicle engineering, biomaterials science, immunology, and stem cell biology to design EV-based platforms capable of delivering precise molecular signals to specific immune populations. These engineered vesicles are evaluated for their ability to suppress pathological inflammation, promote immune tolerance, restore immune balance, and support tissue repair in autoimmune disease models.

This research aims to establish a new generation of cell-free immunotherapies that offer greater precision, safety, and efficacy than conventional immunosuppressive treatments. Chemically engineered extracellular vesicles have the potential to selectively modulate immune pathways, minimize off-target effects, and provide durable therapeutic benefits for patients suffering from autoimmune disorders.

The technologies developed through this work may lead to transformative therapies for diseases such as lupus, Sjögren's syndrome, autoimmune uveitis, type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and other chronic inflammatory conditions. This research seeks to bridge the gap between fundamental immunology and translational medicine by creating clinically viable extracellular vesicle-based therapeutics that improve patient outcomes and quality of life.

Autoimmune diseases are often difficult to diagnose in their early stages because clinical symptoms can be non-specific, variable, and may overlap with those of other inflammatory disorders. Delayed diagnosis frequently results in disease progression, irreversible tissue damage, and reduced treatment effectiveness. There is a critical need for sensitive and minimally invasive biomarkers that can detect disease onset, monitor progression, and guide therapeutic decision-making before significant clinical complications occur.

The Kaur Lab investigates the role of circulating extracellular vesicles (EVs) as novel biomarkers for the early detection and monitoring of autoimmune diseases. Extracellular vesicles are nanoscale particles released by cells into biological fluids such as blood, saliva, and urine, carrying molecular cargo that reflects the physiological and pathological state of their cells of origin. Our research combines extracellular vesicle isolation and characterization, molecular profiling, biomarker discovery, and immunological analyses to identify disease-specific EV signatures associated with autoimmune disorders. By analyzing EV-associated proteins, lipids, nucleic acids, and immune-regulatory molecules, we seek to uncover biomarkers that enable earlier diagnosis, improved disease stratification, and real-time monitoring of disease activity.

This research aims to establish extracellular vesicle-based liquid biopsies as a new generation of diagnostic tools for autoimmune diseases. Early and accurate detection could enable timely therapeutic intervention, improve patient outcomes, reduce disease-associated complications, and support personalized treatment strategies.

Oral administration is the most convenient and patient-friendly route for drug delivery; however, many therapeutic agents, particularly biologics, peptides, proteins, and poorly soluble drugs, face significant challenges in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Harsh gastric conditions, enzymatic degradation, poor intestinal absorption, and limited bioavailability often reduce therapeutic effectiveness. There is a critical need for advanced delivery systems that can protect drug molecules during transit through the GI tract and enable efficient absorption at the target site.

The Kaur Lab designs and engineers innovative biomaterial-based drug delivery platforms to overcome biological barriers associated with oral administration. By integrating principles of biomaterials science, nanotechnology, pharmaceutical sciences, and bioengineering, we develop materials capable of protecting therapeutic cargo, improving drug stability, enhancing intestinal transport, and enabling controlled drug release. Our research focuses on the design of functional biomaterials, nanoparticles, polymer-based carriers, and bioresponsive delivery systems that can improve the oral bioavailability of therapeutics. We investigate the interactions between these engineered platforms and the gastrointestinal environment to optimize drug transport and therapeutic performance.

This research aims to advance the development of safer, more effective, and patient-friendly oral therapies. Improved oral delivery technologies have the potential to increase treatment adherence, reduce the need for injectable medications, and enhance therapeutic outcomes across a wide range of diseases.