Stem cell-derived cell-free therapeutics are emerging as promising alternatives to conventional cell transplantation for regenerative medicine and disease treatment. Stem cells exert therapeutic effects through differentiation, immunomodulation, trophic-factor secretion, and intercellular communication, with extracellular vesicles (EVs) and exosomes receiving substantial research attention as carriers of proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. However, concerns regarding production scalability, product heterogeneity, cargo variability, storage stability, and quality control have encouraged the development of alternative platforms. Recent studies have investigated stem cell lysates, cell extracts, secretome fractions, non-classical EV populations, endosome-associated vesicles, engineered nanovesicles, exosome mimetics, and other bioinspired cell-derived particles. Although these products show potential in tissue repair, immune regulation, neurological recovery, and treatment of inflammatory or age-related disorders, their mechanisms of action, compositional consistency, manufacturing requirements, and clinical feasibility remain insufficiently defined. A systematic investigation of these emerging products is therefore needed to establish their biological identity, therapeutic value, and translational potential.
This Research Topic aims to examine stem cell-derived cell-free therapeutic products beyond conventional exosome-centered approaches. It will address their biological mechanisms, molecular cargo, intracellular origins, engineering strategies, therapeutic applications, and safety considerations. Particular emphasis will be placed on defining how lysates, secretome-derived products, vesicle subpopulations, engineered vesicle mimetics, and bioinspired particles influence tissue regeneration, immune responses, cellular reprogramming, and disease recovery. The Research Topic also seeks to promote advances in product optimization, cargo loading, targeting, stability, storage, characterization, and scalable manufacturing. By integrating stem cell biology, extracellular communication, nanomedicine, bioengineering, and regenerative medicine, it aims to identify principles for developing reproducible and clinically translatable acellular therapies.
To gather further insights into emerging stem cell-derived cell-free therapeutics beyond conventional exosomes, this Research Topic welcomes studies addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
o Biological functions and therapeutic mechanisms of stem cell lysates, cell extracts, and secretome-derived formulations.
o Molecular composition, bioactivity, and quality attributes of stem cell-derived cell-free products.
o Non-classical extracellular vesicles, EV heterogeneity, and endosomal trafficking mechanisms.
o Exosome-mimetic, engineered, and bioinspired nanovesicles derived from stem cells.
o Strategies for improving cargo loading, targeting, stability, delivery, and therapeutic efficacy.
o Interactions between cell-free products and target cells, tissues, immune systems, or disease microenvironments.
o Applications in tissue regeneration, wound repair, neurological recovery, musculoskeletal disorders, and organ regeneration.
o Immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory applications, including inflammatory and aging-related diseases.
o Comparative evaluation of different stem cell-derived cell-free therapeutic platforms.
o Standardization, potency assays, quality control, storage, and scalable manufacturing.
o Biosafety, pharmacokinetics, biodistribution, regulatory considerations, and clinical translation.
o Advanced analytical, imaging, omics, and bioengineering approaches for product characterization.
Article types and fees
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Article types
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
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