Mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles alter disease outcomes via endorsement of macrophage polarization

• Published in: Stem cell research & therapy Vol. 11; no. 1; pp. 424 - 12
• Main Authors: Wang, Jiangmei, Xia, Jie, Huang, Ruoqiong, Hu, Yaoqin, Fan, Jiajie, Shu, Qiang, Xu, Jianguo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 29.09.2020; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Adaptive immunity; B cells; Cardiomyocytes; Cell adhesion & migration; Central nervous system; Central nervous system diseases; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Cytokines; Disease outcomes; Endorsements; Extracellular Vesicles; Fibroblasts; Homeopathy; Homeostasis; Hypoxia; Immunomodulation; Innate immunity; Kinases; M2 macrophages; Macrophage Activation; Macrophage polarization; Macrophages; Materia medica and therapeutics; Mesenchymal Stem Cells; Mesenchymal stromal cells; MicroRNAs; Nervous system diseases; Permeability; Polarization; Proteins; Review; Stem cells; Stromal cells; Therapeutics; Tumor necrosis factor-TNF; Extracellular vesicles; Mesenchymal stromal cells; M2 macrophages; Macrophage polarization; Disease outcomes
• ISSN: 1757-6512; 1757-6512
• DOI: 10.1186/s13287-020-01937-8

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are adult stromal cells that reside in virtually all postnatal tissues. Due to their regenerative and immunomodulatory capacities, MSCs have attracted growing attention during the past two decades. MSC-derived extracellular vesicles (MSC-EVs) are able to duplicate the effects of their parental cells by transferring functional proteins and genetic materials to recipient cells without cell-to-cell contact. MSC-EVs also target macrophages, which play an essential role in innate immunity, adaptive immunity, and homeostasis. Recent studies have demonstrated that MSC-EVs reduce M1 polarization and/or promote M2 polarization in a variety of settings. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms of macrophage polarization and roles of MSC-EV-induced macrophage polarization in the outcomes of cardiovascular, pulmonary, digestive, renal, and central nervous system diseases. In conclusion, MSC-EVs may become a viable alternative to MSCs for the treatment of diseases in which inflammation and immunity play a critical role.