Exosomes: a potential alternative for stem cell therapy

The ability of stem cells to differentiate into many cell types makes them an attractive therapeutic method for regenerative medicine. However, the precise mechanism through which theyapply their therapeutic effects is controversial. Some evidence has shown that the main therapeutic effects of stem cell therapy are based on their paracrine mechanism by releasing a broad range of cytokines, immunomodulatory factors, and growth factors. Recently, studies have demonstrated that stem cells are also able to release nano-sized vesicles (˜∼30–100 nm in diameter) into extracellular milieu known as exosomes. As well, a plethora of research have suggested that many therapeutic effects of cell therapy could be attributed to exosomes. The exosomes could transport broad types of cargo such as mRNA, miRNA, proteins, molecular chaperones, and signaling molecules among cells and contribute to cell-to-cell communication. The main advantage of exosomes is their safety and the low risk of tumor formation. Exosomes are also stable and can be easily stored. In addition, the large amount of exosomes can be derived from a small number of cells. Another benefit of exosomes is that they do not elicit immune rejection which makes them a suitable option for allogeneic source. Several animal studies have used stem cells exosomes as a new therapeutic method with interesting results. However, the application of this method in humans needs further studies. In conclusion treatment with stem cells exosomes may be a good alternative to cell-based therapies with the advantages of less complications, easier preparation and lower costs.

کلیدواژه ها:

Exosomes ، Stem cell therapy ، Therapeutic ، Nano-sized vesicles