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Review
. 2018 Mar;27(3):349-363.
doi: 10.1177/0963689717723636. Epub 2018 Apr 25.

Exosomes and Stem Cells in Degenerative Disease Diagnosis and Therapy

Yu-Hsun Chang  1   2 , Kung-Chi Wu  3 , Horng-Jyh Harn  4 , Shinn-Zong Lin  5 , Dah-Ching Ding  2   6
Affiliations
Review

Exosomes and Stem Cells in Degenerative Disease Diagnosis and Therapy

Yu-Hsun Chang et al. Cell Transplant. 2018 Mar.

Abstract

Stroke can cause death and disability, resulting in a huge burden on society. Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor dysfunction. Osteoarthritis (OA) is a progressive degenerative joint disease characterized by cartilage destruction and osteophyte formation in the joints. Stem cell therapy may provide a biological treatment alternative to traditional pharmacological therapy. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are preferred because of their differentiation ability and possible derivation from many adult tissues. In addition, the paracrine effects of MSCs play crucial anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive roles in immune cells. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are vital mediators of cell-to-cell communication. Exosomes contain various molecules such as microRNA (miRNA), which mediates biological functions through gene regulation. Therefore, exosomes carrying miRNA or other molecules can enhance the therapeutic effects of MSC transplantation. MSC-derived exosomes have been investigated in various animal models representing stroke, PD, and OA. Exosomes are a subtype of EVs. This review article focuses on the mechanism and therapeutic potential of MSC-derived exosomes in stroke, PD, and OA in basic and clinical aspects.

Keywords: Parkinson’s disease; exosomes; mesenchymal stem cells; miRNA; osteoarthritis; stroke.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The author(s) declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: Paul R. Sanberg (PRS) is the coeditor in chief of Cell Transplantation. Neither PRS nor any of his colleagues were involved in the peer-review process or decision for this manuscript.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Exosome synthesis and action. A cell membrane is an inward budding and formed multivesicular body (MVB). Exosomes are released after the MVB fuses with the membrane. Exosomes can carry lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids to recipient cells; they act as intercellular communicators and play crucial roles in immune response, neurodegenerative disease, osteoarthritis, and tumor progression.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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