Biology and Potential Medical Applications of Mesenchymal Stem Cell Exosomes

A special issue of Cells (ISSN 2073-4409). This special issue belongs to the section "Stem Cells".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 October 2024) | Viewed by 4691

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Laboratory of Biological Chemistry, Medical School, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University, 54124 Thessalloniki, Greece
Interests: adult stem cells; extracellular matrix

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Extracellular vesicles are found in the biological fluids of all multicellular organisms. Between the various categories of extracellular vesicles, exosomes are more intensively studied. Exosomes are small extracellular vesicles secreted by eukaryotic cells that contribute to intercellular communication. First discovered in 1983 during reticulocyte maturation studies, [1], it is known today that exosomes may regulate several cell functions and may be used as diagnostic and prognostic means in cancer and other diseases. The study of exosomes represents one of the most active fields in today's biological research because it seems that these small vesicles may be very useful not only as diagnostic tools but also as therapeutic tools in the future [2]. However, before we will be able to routinely use exosomes in medical practice, we have to deeply understand their biology. It is not yet clear how exosome-related signaling is integrated into the signaling puzzle of the cell and of the multicellular organism. How are the synthesis and secretion of exosomes influenced by other signaling molecules? How many kinds of exosomes can be secreted by a cell and under what conditions? On the other hand, it is widely accepted that exosomes loaded with specific effector molecules such as miRNA or gene therapy plasmids could serve as magic bullets to influence the function of specific cells in vivo [3]. However, techniques for isolating, detecting, analyzing, and sorting exosomes are still developing [4]. Mesenchymal stem cells are the main cell species whose exosomes have been extensively studied and used for the treatment of diseases [5]. In the present Special Issue, we aim to present new knowledge that may significantly contribute to the development of the interesting and promising scientific field of mesenchymal stem cell exosomes and their potential medical applications. 

  1. Johnstone, M.; Adam, M.; Hammond, J.R.; Orr, L.; Turbide, C. Vesicle formation during reticulocyte maturation. Association of plasma membrane activities with released vesicles (exosomes). The Journal of Biological Chemistry 1987, 262, 9412–9420.
  2. de Matos, B.M.; Stimamiglio, M.A.; Correa, A.; Robert, A.W. Human pluripotent stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles: From now to the future. World J. Stem Cells 2023, 15, 453–465.
  3. Avgoulas, D.I.; Tasioulis, K.S.; Papi, R.M.; Pantazaki, A.A. Therapeutic and Diagnostic Potential of Exosomes as Drug Delivery Systems in Brain Cancer. Pharmaceutics 2023, 15, 1439. 
  4. Omrani, M.; Beyrampour-Basmenj, H.; Jahanban-Esfahlan, R.; Talebi, M.; Raeisi, M.; Serej, Z.A.; Akbar-Gharalari, N.; Khodakarimi, S.; Wu, J.; Ebrahimi-Kalan, A. Global trend inexosome isolation and application: an update concept in management of diseases. Cell. Biochem. 2023, 11, 1­­–13.
  5. Yuan, Y.G.; Wang, J.L.; Zhang, Y.X.; Li, L.; Reza, A.M.M.T.; Gurunathan, S. Biogenesis, Composition and Potential Therapeutic Applications of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Derived Exosomes in Various Diseases. Int J Nanomedicine 2023, 18, 3177–3210

Dr. George Koliakos
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • mesenchymal stem cells
  • extracellular vesicles
  • exosomes
  • exosomes in drug delivery
  • intercellular signaling
  • diagnosis and therapy
  • exosome miRNA packaging and transfer
  • exosome isolation
  • characterization and analysis
  • molecular signals controlling exosome production and release

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Review

26 pages, 2820 KiB  
Review
The Opportunities and Challenges of Mesenchymal Stem Cells-Derived Exosomes in Theranostics and Regenerative Medicine
by Sachin Yadav, Pritiprasanna Maity and Kausik Kapat
Cells 2024, 13(23), 1956; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells13231956 - 25 Nov 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2292
Abstract
Cell-secreted nanovesicles of endosomal origin, called exosomes, are vital for mediating intracellular communication. As local or distal transporters of intracellular cargo, they reflect the unique characteristics of secretory cells and establish cell-specific interactions via characteristic surface proteins and receptors. With the advent of [...] Read more.
Cell-secreted nanovesicles of endosomal origin, called exosomes, are vital for mediating intracellular communication. As local or distal transporters of intracellular cargo, they reflect the unique characteristics of secretory cells and establish cell-specific interactions via characteristic surface proteins and receptors. With the advent of rapid isolation, purification, and identification techniques, exosomes have become an attractive choice for disease diagnosis (exosomal content as biomarkers), cell-free therapy, and tissue regeneration. Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-derived exosomes (MSC-exosomes) display angiogenic, immune-modulatory, and other therapeutic effects crucial for cytoprotection, ischemic wound repair, myocardial regeneration, etc. The primary focus of this review is to highlight the widespread application of MSC-exosomes in therapeutics, theranostics, and tissue regeneration. After a brief introduction of exosome properties, biogenesis, isolation, and functions, recent studies on therapeutic and regenerative applications of MSC-exosomes are described, focusing on bone, cartilage, periodontal, cardiovascular, skin, and nerve regeneration. Finally, the review highlights the theranostic potential of exosomes followed by challenges, summary, and outlook. Full article
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24 pages, 11320 KiB  
Review
Visualization Analysis of Small Extracellular Vesicles in the Application of Bone-Related Diseases
by Xinjiani Chen, Ning Yang, Bailei Li, Xinyu Gao, Yayu Wang, Qin Wang, Xiaojun Liu, Zhen Zhang and Rongqing Zhang
Cells 2024, 13(11), 904; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells13110904 - 24 May 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1750
Abstract
Small extracellular vesicles were shown to have similar functional roles to their parent cells without the defect of potential tumorigenicity, which made them a great candidate for regenerative medicine. The last twenty years have witnessed the rapid development of research on small extracellular [...] Read more.
Small extracellular vesicles were shown to have similar functional roles to their parent cells without the defect of potential tumorigenicity, which made them a great candidate for regenerative medicine. The last twenty years have witnessed the rapid development of research on small extracellular vesicles. In this paper, we employed a scientometric synthesis method to conduct a retrospective analysis of small extracellular vesicles in the field of bone-related diseases. The overall background analysis consisted the visualization of the countries, institutions, journals, and authors involved in research. The current status of the research direction and future trends were presented through the analysis of references and keywords, which showed that engineering strategies, mesenchymal stem cell derived exosomes, and cartilage damage were the most concerning topics, and scaffold, osteoarthritis, platelet-rich plasma, and senescence were the future trends. We also discussed the current problems and challenges in practical applications, including the in-sight mechanisms, the building of relevant animal models, and the problems in clinical trials. By using CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and Bibliometrix, the presented data avoided subjective selectivity and tendency well, which made the conclusion more reliable and comprehensive. We hope that the findings can provide new perspectives for researchers to understand the evolution of this field over time and to search for novel research directions. Full article
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