Research links increased expression of neuregulin-1 (NRG1) to neurological disorders (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, autism spectrum disorder, epilepsy, etc.), cancers (breast, prostate, lung, gastric cancers), metabolic syndrome and multiple sclerosis. Researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital developed a treatment to manipulate mammalian gene expression with bacterial extracellular vesicles. This treatment based on outer membrane vesicles (OMV) modulates expression of NRG1 by using porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) tRNA and NRG1 mRNA to reduce NRG1 translation. Pg and closely related pathogens produce OMVs that contain proteins, lipids, nucleic acids and cytosolic compounds. Through metagenomic sequencing, researchers found that Pg OMVs contain tRNA that complements mammalian NRG1 mRNA. They also found that the tRNA can potentially stop the translation of NRG1. This complementation indicates a direct interaction between Pg tRNA and NRG1 mRNA which results in the reduction of NRG1.