Concise review: Current understanding of extracellular vesicles to treat neuropathic pain

Abstract

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) including exosomes are vesicular vesicles with phospholipid bilayer implicated in many cellular interactions and have the ability to transfer multiple types of cargo to cells. It has been found that EVs can package various molecules including proteins and nucleic acids (DNA, mRNA, and noncoding RNA). The discovery of EVs as carriers of proteins and various forms of RNA, such as microRNAs (miRNA) and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNA), has raised great interest in the field of drug delivery. Despite the underlying mechanisms of neuropathic pain being unclear, it has been shown that uncontrolled glial cell activation and the neuroinflammation response to noxious stimulation are important in the emergence and maintenance of neuropathic pain. Many studies have demonstrated a role for noncoding RNAs in the pathogenesis of neuropathic pain and EVs may offer possibilities as carriers of noncoding RNAs for potential in neuropathic pain treatment. In this article, the origins and clinical application of EVs and the mechanism of neuropathic pain development are briefly introduced. Furthermore, we demonstrate the therapeutic roles of EVs in neuropathic pain and that this involve vesicular regulation of glial cell activation and neuroinflammation.

Contribution of Small Extracellular Vesicles from Schwann Cells and Satellite Glial Cells to Pain Processing

“…Exosomes are not only involved in the normal physiological mechanisms of pain but also contribute to the development of chronic pain [7,22,23]. Unraveling the intricate details of exosome formation, cargo modification, and release in various chronic pain conditions requires dedicated research efforts.…”

The Evolution of Current Concept of the Reconstructive Ladder in Plastic Surgery: The Emerging Role of Translational Medicine

“…Neuropathic pain is a type of chronic pain that occurs following an injury or disease in the peripheral nervous system [124], and appears to be related to neuroinflammation [125,126]. Various clinical studies have shown that exosomes can improve neuropathic pain by reducing proinflammatory cytokines, promoting vascular regeneration, promoting neuronal proliferation and function by axonal regrowth and Schwann cell activation [127,128], which contribute to providing a favorable microenvironment for peripheral nerve regeneration. Another pathology responsible for chronic inflammatory pain is osteoarthritis.…”