Inflammatory Signaling via Extracellular Vesicles Following IL-13 Stimulation in Airway Epithelial Cells

Authors

  • Sahil Patel Jenks High School, Tulsa, OK 74037, USA
  • Bhuvanesh Kumar Raju Oklahoma State University CHS
  • Radhika D Pande Oklahoma State University CHS
  • Vikramsingh Gujar

Abstract

Background: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membrane-bound nanoparticles released by cells that facilitate intercellular communication through the transfer of proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. Growing evidence implicates EVs in inflammatory signaling; however, their role in type 2 airway inflammation remains poorly characterized. Interleukin-13 (IL-13) is a central cytokine in allergic airway diseases, including allergic rhinitis. This study investigated whether IL-13 stimulation alters EV cargo in airway epithelial cells, thereby contributing to the propagation of inflammatory signals.

Methods: Human airway epithelial A549 cells were cultured to approximately 90% confluency and treated with IL-13 for 24 hours, alongside vehicle-treated and untreated control groups. EVs were isolated from conditioned media using ExoQuick precipitation. EV yield and integrity were validated by nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) and Western blotting for EV-associated markers. The inflammatory chemokine CCL-26 was quantified at the protein level in EVs using Western blotting, while corresponding cellular mRNA expression was assessed by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR).

Results: Successful isolation of EVs from A549 cells was confirmed by NTA and Western blot analysis. EVs derived from IL-13-treated cells demonstrated a significant increase in CCL-26 protein levels compared with EVs from control and vehicle-treated groups. In contrast, qPCR analysis revealed no significant differences in CCL-26 mRNA expression among the experimental groups, as indicated by comparable Ct values.

Conclusion: IL-13 stimulation selectively enhances the enrichment of CCL-26 protein within extracellular vesicles without corresponding changes in mRNA expression, suggesting post-transcriptional regulation or selective EV cargo loading. These findings support a role for EVs in mediating inflammatory signaling in allergic airway diseases and highlight their potential contribution to the dissemination of type 2 inflammatory responses.

Author Biographies

Sahil Patel, Jenks High School, Tulsa, OK 74037, USA

High School Student

Bhuvanesh Kumar Raju, Oklahoma State University CHS

Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Oklahoma State University, Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa, OK 74107, USA

Radhika D Pande, Oklahoma State University CHS

Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Oklahoma State University, Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa, OK 74107, USA

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Published

2026-05-14

Issue

Vol. 10 No. 1 (2026): Articles

Section

Biomedical Sciences

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