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Bioengineering
Volume 13
Issue 7
10.3390/bioengineering13070770
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Scalable Isolation of Human Umbilical Cord MSC-Derived Exosomes and Their Therapeutic Potential in Osteoarthritis

by
Chao Zhou
1,2,†,
Shimei Wu
3,†,
Yanyi Zeng
4,
Xueyan Liu
3,
Shiye Wu
5,
Ke Chen
5,
Junrong Wu
3,
Haibin Yin
3,‡ and
Yuanyuan Zhou
6,*
1
School of Pharmaceutical Sciences (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-Sen University, 66 Gongchanglu Road, Guangming District, Shenzhen 518107, China
2
Guangzhou National Laboratory, Guangzhou International Bio Island, No. 9 XingDaoHuanBei Road, Guangzhou 510005, China
3
Guangzhou Anjie Biomedical Technology Co., Ltd., Guangzhou 510005, China
4
School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510006, China
5
School of Animal Science and Technology, Foshan University, Foshan 528225, China
6
School of Agriculture and Bioengineering, Foshan University, Foshan 528225, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These two authors contributed equally to this work.
‡
Deceased.
Bioengineering 2026, 13(7), 770; https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering13070770
Submission received: 6 June 2026 / Revised: 27 June 2026 / Accepted: 29 June 2026 / Published: 30 June 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cell Therapy and Tissue Engineering for Orthopedic Applications)
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Abstract

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent degenerative joint disorder characterized by cartilage degradation, synovial inflammation, and osteophyte formation, yet effective therapies that alter disease progression remain absent. Mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes (MSC-EXOs), as a cell-free regenerative medicine strategy, have shown great potential in the treatment of osteoarthritis. In this study, we successfully isolated and purified exosomes derived from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells using a scalable tangential flow filtration (TFF)–chromatography platform and evaluated their therapeutic effects on OA model induced by anterior cruciate ligament transection (ACLT). OARSI scores were significantly reduced compared with the ACLT group (p < 0.01). Exosomes administration markedly reduced osteophyte formation, preserved cartilage structure, enhanced collagen II expression (p < 0.01), and suppressed MMP13-mediated matrix degradation (p < 0.05) compared with the ACLT group. The treatment also significantly decreased pro-inflammatory cytokines, indicating alleviation of the inflammatory microenvironment. Transcriptomic profiling further revealed genes and pathways potentially associated with exosome treatment. These findings suggest that hUC-MSC-EXOs isolated and purified using TFF–chromatography exert robust chondroprotective and immunomodulatory effects, supporting their potential as an effective cell-free therapeutic candidate for OA.
Keywords: osteoarthritis; human umbilical cord MSCs; exosomes; cartilage repair; inflammation osteoarthritis; human umbilical cord MSCs; exosomes; cartilage repair; inflammation
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MDPI and ACS Style

Zhou, C.; Wu, S.; Zeng, Y.; Liu, X.; Wu, S.; Chen, K.; Wu, J.; Yin, H.; Zhou, Y. Scalable Isolation of Human Umbilical Cord MSC-Derived Exosomes and Their Therapeutic Potential in Osteoarthritis. Bioengineering 2026, 13, 770. https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering13070770

AMA Style

Zhou C, Wu S, Zeng Y, Liu X, Wu S, Chen K, Wu J, Yin H, Zhou Y. Scalable Isolation of Human Umbilical Cord MSC-Derived Exosomes and Their Therapeutic Potential in Osteoarthritis. Bioengineering. 2026; 13(7):770. https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering13070770

Chicago/Turabian Style

Zhou, Chao, Shimei Wu, Yanyi Zeng, Xueyan Liu, Shiye Wu, Ke Chen, Junrong Wu, Haibin Yin, and Yuanyuan Zhou. 2026. "Scalable Isolation of Human Umbilical Cord MSC-Derived Exosomes and Their Therapeutic Potential in Osteoarthritis" Bioengineering 13, no. 7: 770. https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering13070770

APA Style

Zhou, C., Wu, S., Zeng, Y., Liu, X., Wu, S., Chen, K., Wu, J., Yin, H., & Zhou, Y. (2026). Scalable Isolation of Human Umbilical Cord MSC-Derived Exosomes and Their Therapeutic Potential in Osteoarthritis. Bioengineering, 13(7), 770. https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering13070770

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