Emerging role of mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosome microRNA in radiation injury

Abstract

Purpose

Radiation injury (RI) is a common occurrence in malignant tumors patients receiving radiation therapy. While killing tumor cells, normal tissue surrounding the target area is inevitably irradiated at a certain dose, which can cause varying results of radiation injury. Currently, there are limited clinical treatments available for radiation injuries. In recent years, the negative effects of stem cell therapy have been reported more clearly and non-cellular therapies such as exosomes have become a focus of attention for researchers. As a type of vesicle-like substances secreted by mesenchymal stem cells (MSC), MSC derived exosomes (MSC-exo) carry DNA, mRNA, microRNA (miRNAs), specific proteins, lipids, and other active substances involved in intercellular information exchange. miRNAs released by MSC-exo are capable of alleviating and repairing damaged tissues through anti-apoptosis, modulating immune response, regulating inflammatory response and promoting angiogenesis, which indicates that MSC-exo miRNAs have great potential for application in the prevention and treatment of radiation injury. Therefore, it is necessary to explore the underlying therapeutic mechanisms of MSC-exo miRNAs in this process, which may shed new lights on the treatment of radiation injury.

Conclusions

Increasing evidence confirms that MSC-exo has shown encouraging applications in tissue repair due to the anti-apoptotic, immunoreactive, and pro-angiogenesis effects of the miRNAs it carries as intercellular communication carriers. However, miRNA-based therapeutics are still in their infancy and many practical issues remain to be addressed for clinical applications.

Keywords:

• Mesenchymal stem cell
• exosomes
• microRNA
• radiation injury

Disclosure statement

No potential competing interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant No. 81860198; No. 81960204), “The Future Clinical Medical Doctor” Program of Zunyi Medical University (grant No. 20211017), and Basic research project of Science and Technology Department of Guizhou Province (ZK[2024] General Project 339).

Notes on contributors

Huike Wang

Huike Wang is a postgraduate at the Dental Medicine, Institute of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, GuiZhou, PR China.

Nini Zhang

Nini Zhang is a physician at Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, GuiZhou, PR China.

Xue Wang

Xue Wang is a postgraduate at the Dental Medicine, Institute of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, GuiZhou, PR China.

Jia Tian

Jia Tian is a postgraduate at the Dental Medicine, Institute of Prosthodontics, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, GuiZhou, PR China.

Jie Yi

Jie Yi is a physician at Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, GuiZhou, PR China.

Li Yao

Li Yao is a physician at Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, GuiZhou, PR China.

Guilin Huang

Guilin Huang is a physician at Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, GuiZhou, PR China.