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Volume 14
Issue 15
10.3390/jcm14155594
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Review

Extracellular Vesicle-Derived Bioactive Molecules for Corneal and Ocular Surface Regeneration

by
Ana Kolenc
1,2,
Živa Dimnik
1,
Miha Marzidovšek
3,
Petra Schollmayer
3,
Marko Hawlina
2,3,
Elvira Maličev
1,4,† and
Zala Lužnik Marzidovšek
2,3,*,†
1
Blood Transfusion Centre of Slovenia, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
2
Medical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
3
Eye Hospital, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
4
Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.
J. Clin. Med. 2025, 14(15), 5594; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14155594 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 10 July 2025 / Revised: 3 August 2025 / Accepted: 6 August 2025 / Published: 7 August 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Ophthalmology)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Cell-based therapies emerge as potential treatment options for various debilitating diseases. Preclinical research and clinical studies involving cells increased exponentially in the past decade. In addition to cell-based approaches, the use of extracellular vesicles (EVs), which are released by nearly all cell types, emerged as a promising cell-free alternative. Those approaches are also being explored in the field of ophthalmology. Several clinical trials involving EVs are underway to develop potential treatments for advanced ocular surface diseases, including corneal disorders, injuries, and dry eye disease. The cargo carried by EVs has been shown to include a diverse array of functional molecules such as transcription factors, cytokines, growth factors, mRNA, tRNA, rRNA, miRNA, and fragments of dsDNA. While the molecular composition of EVs is already well characterised, the specific activity of these molecules upon delivery to recipient cells remains poorly understood. In this review, we summarise recent studies investigating the bioactive molecules within EVs shown to influence or modulate cellular activity on the ocular surface. Among these, various miRNAs have most commonly been identified as therapeutic agents targeting distinct molecular pathways. The EVs studied were predominantly derived from various mesenchymal stem cells.
Keywords: extracellular vesicles; bioactive molecules; cornea; dry eye disease; miRNA; mesenchymal stem cells; ophthalmology extracellular vesicles; bioactive molecules; cornea; dry eye disease; miRNA; mesenchymal stem cells; ophthalmology

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Kolenc, A.; Dimnik, Ž.; Marzidovšek, M.; Schollmayer, P.; Hawlina, M.; Maličev, E.; Lužnik Marzidovšek, Z. Extracellular Vesicle-Derived Bioactive Molecules for Corneal and Ocular Surface Regeneration. J. Clin. Med. 2025, 14, 5594. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14155594

AMA Style

Kolenc A, Dimnik Ž, Marzidovšek M, Schollmayer P, Hawlina M, Maličev E, Lužnik Marzidovšek Z. Extracellular Vesicle-Derived Bioactive Molecules for Corneal and Ocular Surface Regeneration. Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2025; 14(15):5594. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14155594

Chicago/Turabian Style

Kolenc, Ana, Živa Dimnik, Miha Marzidovšek, Petra Schollmayer, Marko Hawlina, Elvira Maličev, and Zala Lužnik Marzidovšek. 2025. "Extracellular Vesicle-Derived Bioactive Molecules for Corneal and Ocular Surface Regeneration" Journal of Clinical Medicine 14, no. 15: 5594. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14155594

APA Style

Kolenc, A., Dimnik, Ž., Marzidovšek, M., Schollmayer, P., Hawlina, M., Maličev, E., & Lužnik Marzidovšek, Z. (2025). Extracellular Vesicle-Derived Bioactive Molecules for Corneal and Ocular Surface Regeneration. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 14(15), 5594. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14155594

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