International Journal of Stem Cells, 2024 · DOI: https://doi.org/10.15283/ijsc23092 · Published: November 29, 2023
Spinal cord injury (SCI) leads to impairment of motor, sensory, and autonomic nervous functions, placing a heavy burden on families and healthcare systems. Current treatments have limited effects due to the complex mechanism of SCI and poor neuron regeneration. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can promote the recovery of SCI nerve function. The therapeutic effect of MSCs is mainly related to exosomes secreted by MSCs, which have lower immunogenicity and an improved safety profile. This review summarizes the repair mechanism of mesenchymal stem cells-derived exosomes (MSCs-Exos) in SCI treatment and discusses the microRNAs related to SCI treatment based on MSCs-Exos and their mechanism of action.
MSCs-Exos offer a promising cell-free therapy for SCI, with advantages over traditional stem cell therapy due to their biocompatibility, low toxicity, and ability to cross the blood-brain barrier.
Exosomes can be engineered as drug delivery vehicles for targeted delivery of therapeutic agents like miRNAs to the injured spinal cord, offering individualized therapy.
Further research is needed to optimize exosome isolation, purification, and amplification methods. Additionally, studies in primate models are essential to validate the efficacy of exosomes before clinical trials.