The Truth Is Out There: Biological Features and Clinical Indications of Extracellular Vesicles from Human Perinatal Stem Cells

Abstract

The potential of perinatal tissues to provide cellular populations to be used in different applications of regenerative medicine is well established. Recently, the efforts of researchers are being addressed regarding the evaluation of cell products (secreted molecules or extracellular vesicles, EVs) to be used as an alternative to cellular infusion. The data regarding the effective recapitulation of most perinatal cells’ properties by their secreted complement point in this direction. EVs secreted from perinatal cells exhibit key therapeutic effects such as tissue repair and regeneration, the suppression of inflammatory responses, immune system modulation, and a variety of other functions. Although the properties of EVs from perinatal derivatives and their significant potential for therapeutic success are amply recognized, several challenges still remain that need to be addressed. In the present review, we provide an up-to-date analysis of the most recent results in the field, which can be addressed in future research in order to overcome the challenges that are still present in the characterization and utilization of the secreted complement of perinatal cells and, in particular, mesenchymal stromal cells.

Proteomic analysis and functional validation reveal distinct therapeutic capabilities related to priming of mesenchymal stromal/stem cells with IFN-γ and hypoxia: potential implications for their clinical use

“…Consequently, they have been investigated extensively in the field of regenerative medicine for the treatment of various diseases ( Cittadini et al, 2022 ; Miceli and Bertani, 2022 ; Miceli et al, 2023a ; Russo et al, 2023b ). Recent scientific findings have elucidated that products derived from MSCs, such as CM and EXOs, may contribute, at least partially, to the therapeutic effects of MSCs ( Miceli et al, 2021a ; Chinnici et al, 2021 ; Takeuchi et al, 2021 ; Alberti et al, 2022 ; Russo et al, 2023a ). Intriguingly, diverse priming strategies can enhance the therapeutic properties of both MSCs and their derived products ( Noronha et al, 2019 ; Miceli et al, 2021b ; Gallo et al, 2022 ; Miceli et al, 2023b ).…”

“…Consequently, considering the role of paracrine activity in the beneficial effects of MSCs, there is growing interest in elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying MSC secretion, as this process is crucial for their therapeutic efficacy. Notably, EXOs represent a fundamental functional component of the secretome that is responsible for mediating the paracrine effects of MSCs ( Takeuchi et al, 2021 ; Alberti et al, 2022 ; Russo et al, 2023a ; Bulati et al, 2023 ). In this case, it is very important to analyze the EXO fraction to characterize its contents and establish its functional role in the context of the MSC secretome.…”

Extracellular Vesicles in Lung Cancer: Implementation in Diagnosis and Therapeutic Perspectives

“…The classification of EVs reveals a complex landscape characterized by several factors. EVs were originally isolated from blood cells and showed significant variability in terms of their cellular origin, molecular content, size, and therapeutic efficacy [ 16 , 17 ]. Their classification based on size categorizes EVs into apoptotic bodies (1–5 µm), microvesicles (0.1–1 µm), and exosomes (30–150 nm) [ 18 ].…”

Adipose-Derived Stem Cells: Angiogenetic Potential and Utility in Tissue Engineering

“…Perinatal stem cells, including amniotic fluid stem cells, exhibit multipotent differentiation capabilities. Additionally, umbilical cord blood stem cells are employed in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, while cord tissue stem cells (mesenchymal stem cells), dental pulp stem cells (multipotent stem cells), and ADSCs are also notable sources [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19]. Several concerns have been raised regarding the procurement of human embryonic stem cells.…”