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Review
. 2023 Nov 28:14:1286900.
doi: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1286900. eCollection 2023.

Latest progress in low-intensity pulsed ultrasound for studying exosomes derived from stem/progenitor cells

Yi-Fang He  1 , Xia-Li Wang  1   2 , Shuang-Ping Deng  1 , Yan-Li Wang  1 , Qing-Qing Huang  1 , Shu Lin  3   4 , Guo-Rong Lyu  1   2
Affiliations
Review

Latest progress in low-intensity pulsed ultrasound for studying exosomes derived from stem/progenitor cells

Yi-Fang He et al. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). .

Abstract

Stem cells have self-renewal, replication, and multidirectional differentiation potential, while progenitor cells are undifferentiated, pluripotent or specialized stem cells. Stem/progenitor cells secrete various factors, such as cytokines, exosomes, non-coding RNAs, and proteins, and have a wide range of applications in regenerative medicine. However, therapies based on stem cells and their secreted exosomes present limitations, such as insufficient source materials, mature differentiation, and low transplantation success rates, and methods addressing these problems are urgently required. Ultrasound is gaining increasing attention as an emerging technology. Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) has mechanical, thermal, and cavitation effects and produces vibrational stimuli that can lead to a series of biochemical changes in organs, tissues, and cells, such as the release of extracellular bodies, cytokines, and other signals. These changes can alter the cellular microenvironment and affect biological behaviors, such as cell differentiation and proliferation. Here, we discuss the effects of LIPUS on the biological functions of stem/progenitor cells, exosomes, and non-coding RNAs, alterations involved in related pathways, various emerging applications, and future perspectives. We review the roles and mechanisms of LIPUS in stem/progenitor cells and exosomes with the aim of providing a deeper understanding of LIPUS and promoting research and development in this field.

Keywords: differentiation; exosomes; homing; low-intensity pulsed ultrasound; migration; proliferation; stem cells.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Stem cell and exosome injections are used to treat disease models, and further exposure to LIPUS can increase transplantation efficiency. The stem cell source is shown in the upper left, the lower left shows the common parameters of LIPUS, which features an intensity of less than 1 W/cm2, a frequency of 1-3 MHz, and a duty cycle of 20%. LIPUS, low-intensity pulsed ultrasound.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Schematic representation of the effects and applications of LIPUS or combined with microbubble on stem/progenitor cells and exosomes. LIPUS affects stem/progenitor cells and exosomes in the following areas: differentiation, proliferation, migration, homing, transplantation efficiency, cytokine secretion, and angiogenesis regulation. These functions are closely related to therapeutic applications in regenerative medicine and often used to promote fracture healing, anti-inflammation, nerve injury repair, soft tissue regeneration, and drug delivery. LIPUS, low-intensity pulsed ultrasound.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Schematic diagram of signaling pathways that can be activated by LIPUS in steam/progenitor cells for regulating cell biological functions, including proliferation, differentiation, migration, survival, apoptosis, vitality and inflammation. These pathways include the NF-κB, PI3K/AKT, MAPK, BMP/Smad, SDF-1/CXCR4, and Piezo-mediated signaling pathways. LIPUS, low-intensity pulsed ultrasound.
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