Eﬃcacy of miRNA-modiﬁed mesenchymal stem cell extracellular vesicles in spinal cord injury: A systematic review of the literature and network meta-analysis

Frontiers in Neuroscience, 2022 · DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.989295 · Published: October 5, 2022

Spinal Cord Injury Regenerative Medicine Neurology

Simple Explanation

This study investigates the effectiveness of using modified stem cells to treat spinal cord injuries in rats. Specifically, it looks at how well extracellular vesicles (EVs) from miRNA-modified mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) work compared to regular EVs. The research analyzes data from multiple studies to see if different doses of these modified EVs can improve motor function in rats with spinal cord injuries. It also examines if these EVs work differently depending on the type of spinal cord injury. The findings suggest that miRNA-modified EVs may be more effective than regular EVs in improving motor function, especially in the early stages of spinal cord injury and in cases of contusion injuries.

Study Duration

Not specified

Participants

396 rats

Evidence Level

Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis

Key Findings

1
miRNA-overexpressing MSCs-derived EVs (100 and 200 µg of total protein of EVs) signiﬁcantly improved hind limb motor function in rats at early stages of SCI (i.e., at 3 days after injury) as compared with EVs (100 and 200 µg of total protein of EVs, respectively).
2
in the middle and late stages (14 and 28 days), there were no statistically signiﬁcant diﬀerences between EVs with 200 µg dosages and miRNA-loaded EVs with 100 µg dosages
3
miRNA-overexpressing MSCs-derived EVs signiﬁcantly improved motor function among early-stage SCI rats in a compression and contusion model

Research Summary

This systematic review and network meta-analysis of EVs derived from miRNA-modiﬁed MSCs for the treatment of SCI included data from 13 preclinical trials among a total of 396 rats. The results of this network meta-analysis showed that miRNA-loaded EVs with 100 and 200 µg dosages statistically signiﬁcantly improved hind limb motor function among SCI rats at the early stage (3 days), as compared with EVs with 100 and 200 µg dosages. the results of this network meta-analysis showed that miRNA-loaded EVs statistically signiﬁcantly improved hind limb motor function among SCI rats at early stages in compression and contusion models, as compared with EVs.

Practical Implications

Optimal Dosage Selection

miRNA-loaded EVs at 200 µg dosages may be most eﬀective for treatment in early, middle, and late stages.

Model-Specific Efficacy

miRNA-loaded EVs are eﬀective in compression and contusion models, informing preclinical studies.

Therapeutic Potential

miRNA-loaded EVs have tremendous therapeutic potential within SCI and are more eﬀective than EVs in treating SCI.

Study Limitations

1
The anesthetic used for surgery and miRNA were not speciﬁed.
2
The number of included studies and their associated sample sizes are modest, which may pose a risk of bias.
3
All included studies had an unclear risk of blinding with respect to performance bias.

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