Systems Approaches to Cell Culture-Derived Extracellular Vesicles for Acute Kidney Injury Therapy: Prospects and Challenges

Abstract

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a heterogeneous syndrome, comprising diverse aetiologies of kidney insults which result in high mortality and morbidity if not well-managed. Although great efforts have been made to investigate underlying pathogenic mechanisms of AKI, there are limited therapeutic strategies available. Extracellular vesicles (EV) are membrane-bound vesicles secreted by various cell types which can serve as cell-free therapy through transfer of bioactive molecules. In this review, we first overview the AKI syndrome and EV biology, with a particular focus on the technical aspects and therapeutic application of cell culture-derived EVs. Secondly, we illustrate how multi-omic approaches to EV miRNA, protein and genomic cargo analysis can yield new insights into their mechanisms of action and address unresolved questions in the field. We then summarise major experimental evidence regarding the therapeutic potential of EVs in AKI, which we subdivide into stem cell and non-stem cell-derived EVs. Finally, we highlight the challenges and opportunities related to clinical translation of animal studies into human patients.