Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes as Therapeutic Approach for Neurodegenerative Disorders: From Biology to Biotechnology

• Published in: Cells (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 9; no. 12; p. 2663
• Main Authors: Araldi, Rodrigo Pinheiro, D'Amelio, Fernanda, Vigerelli, Hugo, de Melo, Thatiana Correa, Kerkis, Irina
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 11.12.2020; MDPI
• Subjects: Aging; Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; Biosynthesis; Biotechnology; Cell therapy; cell-free therapy; Cognitive ability; Culture Media, Conditioned - chemistry; Deoxyribonucleic acid; Disease; DNA; Endosomal Sorting Complexes Required for Transport - genetics; Exosomes; Exosomes - metabolism; Exosomes - transplantation; extracellular vesicles; Humans; Medical treatment; Mesenchymal Stem Cells - cytology; Mesenchymal Stem Cells - metabolism; Metalloproteases - metabolism; Mutation; Nervous system; Neurodegeneration; Neurodegenerative diseases; Neurodegenerative Diseases - pathology; Neurodegenerative Diseases - therapy; Neurons; Nucleic Acids - metabolism; Oxidative stress; Pathophysiology; Peptides; Proteins; Review; stem cell; Stem cells; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A - metabolism; Vesicles; neurodegenerative diseases; extracellular vesicles; stem cell; cell-free therapy; exosomes
• ISSN: 2073-4409; 2073-4409
• DOI: 10.3390/cells9122663

The aging population has contributed to the rapid rise in the global incidence of neurodegenerative diseases. Despite the medical advances, there are no effective treatments for these disorders. Therefore, there is an urgent need for new treatments for these diseases. In this sense, cell therapy has been recognized as the best candidate for treating incurable diseases, such as neurodegenerative disorders. However, the therapeutic use of these cells can be limited by several factors. Thus, there has been a rediscovery that extracellular vesicles, including exosomes, can be alternatively explored in the treatment of these diseases, overcoming the limits of cell-based therapy. In this sense, this review aims to revisit all areas from biology, including biogenesis and the content of exosomes, to biotechnology, proposing the minimal information required to isolate, characterize, and study the content of these vesicles for scientific and/or clinical purposes.