Clinical Translational Potentials of Stem Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles in Type 1 Diabetes

Abstract

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an organ-specific disease characterized by the deficiency of insulin caused by the autoimmune destruction of pancreatic islet β cells. Stem cell-based therapies play essential roles in immunomodulation and tissue regeneration, both of which hold great promise for treating many autoimmune dysfunctions. However, their clinical translational potential has been limited by ethical issues and cell transplant rejections. Exosomes are small extracellular vesicles (EVs) released by almost all types of cells, performing a variety of cell functions through the delivery of their molecular contents such as proteins, DNAs, and RNAs. Increasing evidence suggests that stem cell-derived EVs exhibit similar functions as their parent cells, which may represent novel therapeutic agents for the treatment of autoimmune diseases including T1D. In this review, we summarize the current research progresses of stem cell-derived EVs for the treatment of T1D.

A Bibliometric Analysis of the Hotspots Concerning Stem Cell Extracellular Vesicles for Diabetes in the Last 5 Years

“…EVs are nanosized particles secreted by cells, which contain a variety of biologically active substances, such as lipids, proteins, and RNAs, and play an important role in intercellular communication, cell survival and apoptosis, and the regulation of disease progression. Interestingly, numerous previous studies have shown that SC-EVs, especially exosomes, have repairing effects similar to SCs without the risk of tumor formation and can be stably preserved for transport, which has attracted a great deal of attention from researchers ( 2 , 17 ). To explore the process and trend of SC-EVs for DM, this study conducted a bibliometric analysis of the publication on SC-EVs for DM from 2017 to 2021.…”

A Panorama of Extracellular Vesicle Applications: From Biomarker Detection to Therapeutics

“…β cell uptake of EVs secreted by immune cells can induce β cell dysfunction and apoptosis. 55 Conversely, stem cell-derived EVs have immunomodulatory effects on multiple cells involved in the autoimmune response leading to T1DM, 56 and treatment with MSC-derived EVs has been reported to stimulate islet β cell regeneration and insulin production to control systemic glucose levels in a rat model of T1DM. 57 T2DM differs from T1DM as it is primarily caused by dysregulation of the insulin signaling pathway in response to proinflammatory responses that develop during excess weight gain from excess caloric intake.…”

Knowledge Mapping of Exosomes in Autoimmune Diseases: A Bibliometric Analysis (2002–2021)

“…In SSc, MSC-Exos can exert antifibrotic and anti-inflammatory effects by promoting M1 macrophage polarization and inhibiting M2 macrophage polarization (84). In T1D, MSC-Exos are able to increase the ratio of Treg in PBMCs of T1D patients and inhibit the proliferation of Th1 and Th17 cells in T1D mice (85). In addition, MSC-Exos have a positive effect on promoting the survival and generation of b cells (85).…”

“…In T1D, MSC-Exos are able to increase the ratio of Treg in PBMCs of T1D patients and inhibit the proliferation of Th1 and Th17 cells in T1D mice (85). In addition, MSC-Exos have a positive effect on promoting the survival and generation of b cells (85). Recent studies have shown that the content of protein in exosomes is much higher than that of miRNAs, so MSC-Exos are highly likely to treat AIDs mainly through proteins, which provides a new idea for the study of mechanism associated with MSC-Exos in the treatment of AIDs (7).…”