REVIEW article
Front. Cell Dev. Biol.
Sec. Stem Cell Research
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fcell.2025.1612589
This article is part of the Research TopicNovel Insights into Cellular Mechanisms and Therapies for Tissue RegenerationView all articles
The Tiny Giants of Regeneration: MSC-Derived Extracellular Vesicles as Next-Generation Therapeutics
Provisionally accepted
- 1Sheng Jing Hospital Affiliated, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
- 2The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China
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Mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles (MSC-EVs) are revolutionizing the field of regenerative medicine, becoming the core carriers of next-generation acellular therapeutic strategies. In contrast to traditional mesenchymal stem cell therapy, these nanoscale "regenerative tiny giants" offer significant advantages, including low immunogenicity, efficient biological barrier penetration, and stable storage. As natural bioactive molecular carriers, MSC-EVs precisely regulate the inflammatory response, angiogenesis, and tissue repair processes in target tissues by delivering functional RNA, proteins, and other signaling elements. They have demonstrated multidimensional therapeutic potential in diseases such as bone and joint regeneration, nerve function reconstruction, myocardial repair, and skin wound healing. Worldwide, 64 registered clinical trials have preliminarily validated the safety and applicability of MSC-EVs across various diseases. Notably, they have shown significant progress in treating severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), ischemic stroke, and complex wound healing. However, the lack of standardization in production processes, insufficient targeting for in vivo delivery, and the scarcity of long-term biodistribution data remain core bottlenecks limiting the clinical translation of MSC-EVs. Future interdisciplinary technologies, including 3-dimensional (3D) dynamic culture, genetic engineering, and intelligent slow-release systems, are expected to facilitate the transition of MSC-EVs from the lab to large-scale applications. This shift may transform "injectable regenerative factors" into "programmable nanomedicines", offering new solutions for precision medicine.
Keywords: extracellular vesicles, Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Exosomes, therapy, Bioengineering, Animals, Humans, Clinical Trial
Received: 16 Apr 2025; Accepted: 10 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Zhang, Zhang, Ma and Song. 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:
Xiaoxue Ma, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110000, Liaoning Province, China
Wenliang Song, Sheng Jing Hospital Affiliated, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
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