Therapies Based on Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) and MSC-Derived Exosomes

Dear Colleagues,

The area of mesenchymal stem/stromal cell (MSC)-based cell therapy has been actively explored as an alternative therapeutic option for a variety of immune-mediated diseases. MSCs play a significant role in tissue repair and regeneration through their multilineage differentiation potential and/or immunomodulatory properties, regulating both innate and adaptive immunity. Although heterogeneity and cellular aging process during large-scale culture can be the Achilles’ heel of MSC-based therapy, to date, 1073 MSC-based clinical trials, either complete or ongoing, appear in the database of the NIH. Furthermore, recent advances of exosome research have demonstrated that the therapeutic effects of MSCs can be mediated by MSC-derived exosomes (MSC-Exo) as they contain various immunomodulatory factors, such as cytokines, growth factors, signaling lipids, and coding/noncoding RNAs. Cell-free therapy with MSC-Exo may provide some advantages over parent MSCs, such as lower immunogenicity or lower risk of infusion toxicities. The present Special Issue aims to deepen our understanding of the mechanism of in vitro/in vivo action of exogenously administered MSCs or MSC-Exo, including molecular targets, mode of action, pharmacokinetics, and safety.

Dr. Kyung-Rok Yu
Guest Editor

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