Stem Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles as a Novel Potential Therapeutic Tool for Tissue Repair

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

Stem cells, with their therapeutic potential in tissue repair and regeneration, have been widely used in translational medicine. Recent evidence suggests that the beneficial effects are mediated largely by their paracrine actions rather than the engraftment and differentiation at the injured sites. Extracellular vesicles (EVs), actively released from cells, play important roles in cell-to-cell communication and display multiple functions in tissue regeneration. In the present report, we will briefly review the current knowledge related to the therapeutic potential of EVs, particularly stem cell or progenitor cell-derived ones for promoting tissue repair and regeneration, and focus on the restorative properties of exosomes/microvesicles in cutaneous wound healing, bone regeneration, hindlimb ischemia, and vascular injury repair. Stem Cells Translational Medicine 2017;6:1753-1758.

Evidence level

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

Browse all related research

Filter the research library by this study's title keywords, author, or publication year.