Advances in Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes as Drug Delivery Vehicles

Abstract

Exosomes are tiny vesicles with a double membrane structure that cells produce. They range in diameter from 40 to 150 nm and may contain a variety of biomolecules including proteins and nucleic acids. Exosomes have low toxicity, low immunogenicity, and the ability to encapsulate a wide variety of substances, making them attractive drug delivery vehicles. MSCs secrete large amounts of exosomes and hence serve as an excellent source of exosomes. MSCs-derived exosomes have regenerative and tissue repair functions comparable to MSCs and can circumvent the risks of immune rejection and infection associated with MSC transplantation, indicating that they may be a viable alternative to MSCs’ biological functions. In this review, we summarized the drug delivery methods and advantages of exosomes, as well as the advancement of MSC exosomes as drug carriers. The challenges and prospects of using exosomes as drug delivery vectors are presented.

Exosomes Derived from Dental Pulp Stem Cells Show Different Angiogenic and Osteogenic Properties in Relation to the Age of the Donor

“…Additionally, it has to be noted that the biological capability of MSCs dramatically decreases in age-related disorders [ 33 ], as well in relation with the age of the donors [ 34 ]. Among cell-free approached, stem cell-derived exosomes are gaining popularity in regenerative medicine [ 35 , 36 , 37 ]. Indeed, previous investigations revealed therapeutic potential of stem cell-derived exosomes in numerous disorders such as myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury, liver/renal failure, and traumatic brain/spinal cord injury [ 38 ].…”

Research progress of stem cell therapy for endometrial injury

“…The extracellular vesicles (EVs) of MSCs contain microRNA let-7a-5p, which helps reduce apoptosis and enhance autophagy in kidney repair [ 97 ]. Therefore, with the in-depth study of such secretions with membrane structures, cell-based therapeutic research has gradually shifted to non-cellular active substances [ 98 ]. Studies have shown that mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes are safe and effective, and especially have significant advantages in reducing the tumorigenicity of cell administration [ 60 , 61 ].…”

Exosome derived from stem cell: A promising therapeutics for wound healing

“…Surrounded by lipid bilayers, EdSC can regulate cell–cell communication by transferring a lot of functional biomolecules to recipient cells ( Tran et al, 2020 ; An et al, 2021 ; Arishe et al, 2021 ). As the main paracrine factors of stem cells, many studies established that EdSCs are also involved in the immune response ( Hodge et al, 2021 ; Dai et al, 2022 ), cancer prevention and treatment ( Jiang et al, 2022 ; Nik Nabil et al, 2022 ), antigen presentation ( You et al, 2021 ; Zheng et al, 2022 ), angiogenesis ( Yang et al, 2021 ), drug delivery ( Riau et al, 2019 ; Ding et al, 2022 ; Rao et al, 2022 ), and inflammation ( Shen et al, 2021 ). Multiple pharmacological effects make EdSC attract much attention in enhancing skin wound healing ( Las Heras et al, 2020 ; Al Gailani et al, 2022 ; Dong et al, 2022 ; Opoku-Damoah et al, 2022 ).…”