MINI REVIEW article
Front. Cell Dev. Biol.
Sec. Cell Adhesion and Migration
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fcell.2025.1680757
This article is part of the Research TopicAdvancing Bone and Soft Tissue Repair: Bioengineering from Cellular Insights to Clinical ApplicationsView all 3 articles
Traditional Chinese Medicine Derived Exosome-like Nanovesicles in Wound Repair and Skin Regeneration
Provisionally accepted
- 1West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- 2Peking University, Beijing, China
- 3Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, China
- 4Technology and Media University of Henan Kaifeng, Kaifeng, China
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Skin injuries, including acute wounds, burns, and chronic ulcers, pose significant clinical challenges due to their potential to cause delayed healing and functional impairment. Exosome-like nanovesicles (ELNVs) derived from traditional Chinese medicinal (TCM) herbs have recently emerged as promising natural agents for skin repair and regeneration. These nanoscale vesicles combine the structural advantages of plant-derived delivery systems with the inherent pharmacological activities of TCM phytochemicals, offering dual roles as both bioactive agents and therapeutic carriers. Accumulating evidence indicates that TCM-derived ELNVs modulate key processes in wound healing, including inflammation resolution, fibroblast and keratinocyte activation, angiogenesis, and oxidative stress reduction. Moreover, certain vesicles have demonstrated potential in promoting hair follicle regeneration and protecting against photoaging, further highlighting their relevance in functional skin restoration. Compared with vesicles from common edible plants, TCM-ELNVs benefit from standardized cultivation, well-established traceable sourcing systems, and consistent phytochemical profiles, enhancing their suitability for therapeutic development. This review summarizes recent progress in the characterization, biological functions, and preclinical applications of TCM-derived ELNVs in cutaneous healing. Special attention is given to their mechanisms of action and their potential to serve as platforms for drug delivery and regenerative therapies. Overall, TCM-ELNVs represent a promising class of bioactive nanovesicles with broad translational potential in wound repair and skin regenerative medicine.
Keywords: Traditional Chinese Medicine, exosome-like nanovesicles, Skin Regeneration, Woundhealing, anti-inflammatory nanocarriers, Angiogenesis, Oxidative stress modulation
Received: 06 Aug 2025; Accepted: 04 Sep 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Wang, Yang, Wang, Ma, Qing and Zhang. 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:
Yong Qing, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
Zhen-Yu Zhang, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.