Extracellular vesicles released by transforming growth factor-beta 1-preconditional mesenchymal stem cells promote recovery in mice with spinal cord injury

Spinal cord injury (SCI) leads to inflammation and nerve cell damage. The study explores using extracellular vesicles (EVs) from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to treat SCI in mice. MSCs were pre-treated with TGF-β1 to enhance EV production. These EVs, called T-EVs, were injected into SCI mice and compared to EVs from untreated MSCs (C-EVs). The results showed T-EVs improved recovery by reducing inflammation, protecting nerve cells, and promoting the growth of new nerve tissue. The T-EVs may activate endogenous neural stem cells (eNSCs) via the mTORC2/Rictor pathway.

• 1
  T-EVs enhanced the proliferation and antiapoptotic ability of NSCs in vitro and increased the shift from M1 to M2 polarization of reactive microglia, alleviating neuroinflammation.
• 2
  T-EVs increased the number of eNSCs around the injury epicenter, promoted neurite outgrowth, increased axonal regrowth and remyelination, and facilitated locomotor recovery.
• 3
  In Rictor−/−SCI mice, T-EVs failed to sufficiently increase eNSC activation and improve neurogenesis, suggesting T-EVs activate eNSCs via the mTORC2/Rictor pathway.