Therapeutic potential of mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes as a cell-free therapy approach for the treatment of skin, bone, and cartilage defects

ABSTRACT

Objective

The aim of this study was to collect the articles concerning mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-derived exosomes for regeneration of bone, cartilage and skin defects.

Method

Scopus, PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science were searched for keywords “Exosome, MSC, Skin, Bone and Cartilage defects, Regenerative medicine, and extracellular vesicles.

Results

MSC-derived exosomes can emulate the biological activity of MSCs by horizontal transfer of multiple functional molecules including mRNAs, miRNAs, proteins, and lipids to the local microenvironment and recipient cells, and subsequently mediate restoring homeostasis and tissue regeneration through various mechanisms. Compared to MSCs, MSC-derived exosomes reveal many advantages such as non-immunogenicity, easy access, easy preservation, and extreme stability under various conditions.

Conclusion

Hence, exosomes could be considered as an alternative strategy for cell-based therapies in regenerative medicine. In this paper, after describing the characteristics of exosomes, we will review the recent literature on the therapeutic potentials of MSC-derived exosomes in skin, bone, and cartilage repair.

KEYWORDS:

• Mesenchymal stem cell
• exosome
• regenerative medicine
• cell-free therapy
• connective tissue

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.