SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol.
Sec. Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2025.1570526
This article is part of the Research TopicTissue Repair Modeling of Locomotor ApparatusView all 8 articles
TARGETING OSTEOARTHRITIS WITH SMALL EXTRACELLULAR VESICLE THERAPY: PO-TENTIAL AND PERSPECTIVES
Provisionally accepted
Alba González Rodríguez1Francisco Javier De Toro1,2Alberto Jorge-Mora1Pablo Fernández-Pernas3Carlota Probaos-Rivadulla2María Fraga1
Juan Antonio Fafian Labora2*María C. Arufe2*- 1A Coruña University Hospital Complex (CHUAC), A Coruña, Spain
- 2University of A Coruña, A Coruña, Spain
- 3University of Vienna, Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease marked by inflammation, cartilage degradation, and pain, leading to a significant decline in quality of life. Recent advancements in extracellular vesicle (EV) research have introduced new therapeutic possibilities, with small extracellular vesicles (sEV) emerging as a promising strategy for OA treatment. sEV, particularly those derived from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), synoviocytes, chondrocytes, and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), demonstrate substantial anti-inflammatory and regenerative properties. These nanosized vesicles facilitate intercellular communication, delivering bioactive molecules that can modulate the joint microenvironment, promote chondrogenesis, and alleviate pain. Preclinical and early clinical studies indicate that sEV-based therapies may slow disease progression and enhance cartilage repair in OA patients. Despite the promising potential, challenges remain, including standardizing isolation techniques, understanding underlying mechanisms, and navigating regulatory pathways. This systematic review analyzes relevant publications published between 2019 and 2025, highlighting the therapeutic and biomarker potential of sEV in OA. Although there is substantial ongoing research into sEV and biomarkers, the fundamental understanding of OA pathogenesis remains largely unchanged, with most studies continuing to focus on established mechanisms of cartilage degradation, inflammation, and subchondral bone changes. The findings suggest that while therapeutic research into sEV is progressing, advancements in unraveling new pathophysiological mechanisms of OA are more limited. Further research is essential to optimize therapeutic protocols and establish clinical efficacy, marking sEV-based therapies as a promising but evolving approach for OA treatment.
Keywords: small extracelllular vesicles, Osteoarthiritis, therapy, biomarker, personalized medicine
Received: 05 Feb 2025; Accepted: 30 May 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Rodríguez, De Toro, Jorge-Mora, Fernández-Pernas, Probaos-Rivadulla, Fraga, Fafian Labora and Arufe. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Juan Antonio Fafian Labora, University of A Coruña, A Coruña, Spain
María C. Arufe, University of A Coruña, A Coruña, Spain
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