The recent pandemic situation transpired due to coronavirus novel strain SARS-CoV-2 has become a global concern. This human coronavirus (HCov-19) has put the world on high alert as the numbers of confirmed cases are continuously increasing. The world is now fighting against this deadly virus and is leaving no stone unturned to find effective treatments through testing of various available drugs, including those effective against flu, malaria, etc. With an urgent need for the development of potential strategies, two recent studies from China using Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) to treat COVID-19 pneumonia have shed some light on a potential cure for the COVID-19 infected patients. However, MSCs, despite being used in various other clinical trials have always been questioned for their tendency to aggregate or form clumps in the injured or disease microenvironment. It has also been reported in various studies that exosomes secreted by these MSCs, contribute towards the cell's biological and therapeutic efficacy. There have been reports evaluating the safety and feasibility of these exosomes in various lung diseases, thereby proposing them as a cell-free therapeutic agent. Also, attractive features like cell targeting, low-immunogenicity, safety, and high biocompatibility distinguish these exosomes from other synthetic nano-vesicles and thus potentiate their role as a drug delivery nano-platform. Building upon these observations, herein, efforts are made to give an overview of stem cell-derived exosomes as an appealing therapeutic agent and drug delivery nano-carrier. In this review, we briefly recapitulate the recent evidence and developments in understanding exosomes as a promising candidate for novel nano-intervention in the current pandemic scenario. Furthermore, this review will highlight and discuss mechanistic role of exosomes to combat severe lung pathological conditions. We have also attempted to dwell into the nano-formulation of exosomes for its better applicability, storage, and stability thereby conferring them as off the shelf therapeutic.
Mesenchymal Stem Cells are potent therapeutic candidates in the field of regenerative medicine, owing to their immunomodulatory and differentiation potential. However, several complications come with their translational application like viability, duration, and degree of expansion, long-term storage, and high maintenance cost. Therefore, drawbacks of cell-based therapy can be overcome by a novel therapeutic modality emerging in translational research and application, i.e., exosomes. These small vesicles derived from mesenchymal stem cells are emerging as new avenues in the field of nano-medicine. These nano-vesicles have caught the attention of researchers with their potency as regenerative medicine both in nanotherapeutics and drug delivery systems. In this review, we discuss the current knowledge in the biology and handling of exosomes, with their limitations and future applications. Additionally, we highlight current perspectives that primarily focus on their effect on various diseases and their potential as a drug delivery vehicle.
In these times of despair when a nano-sized organism, the SARS-CoV-2, has rendered the human race helpless, made the global health status decline, and drowned the world economy, a ray of hope comes from another nano-sized particle, the exosome. The potential of mesenchymal stem cells has already been established in COVID-19; however, cell-based therapy has its risks. We thereby propose cell-free therapy using stem cells-derived exosomes to fight against COVID-19, as they can be a game-changer owing to their immunomodulatory nature, which combats the cytokine storm characterizing this disease, and their practical efficiency, which will realistically aid large access to therapy worldwide.
Neurodegenerative disorders are a vicious woe to the public health and wellness. Uncertainty in their underlying causes, lack of effective biomarkers for their early detection, existence of only supportive therapy, and their ever rising incidence creates an unmatched need for targeted therapies. Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) have found to be promising candidates for regenerative and remedial therapy in neurodegenerative disorders, however several biological risks and practical issues impede in their translational utility. Deriving from MSCs are certain Extracellular Vesicles (EVs), which aid in the paracrine action of MSCs and have lately gained the scientific interest for their implacability in diverse set ups. Their cargo is of utmost importance and is being explored in various different diseases like heart diseases, neuronal diseases, respiratory diseases and hepatic diseases. They thereby hold the position of a likely prospective remedial candidate for therapy against neurodegenerative disorders.
Regenerative medicine has been coming into spotlight ever since the realisation that conventional treatments are not enough, and the need for specific therapies has emerged. This, however, has paved way for cell-free therapy using extracellular vesicles. A two-dimensional (2D) cell culture model is widely recognised as the “gold standard” for researching cellular communications ex vivo. Although the 2D culture technique is straightforward and easy to use, it cannot replicate the in vivo ECM interactions & microenvironment. On the contrary, 3D culture culturing technology has emerged which include structures such as spheroids and organoids. Organoids are small replicas of in vivo tissues and organs, which faithfully recreate their structures and functions. These could be used as models to derive stem cells based EVs for manufacturing purposes. The linkages between infection and cancer growth, as well as mutation and carcinogenesis, may be modelled using this bioengineered platform. All in all, 3D culturing derived EVs serves as a novel platform for diagnostics, drug discovery & delivery, and therapy.
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