Future perspective of stem cell-derived exosomes: Cell-free therapeutic strategies for retinal degeneration

Zibin Liu; Fang Zeng; Yao Zhang; Yongqing Liu; Zhuo Li; Xiao Liu

doi:10.3389/fbioe.2022.905516

Future perspective of stem cell-derived exosomes: Cell-free therapeutic strategies for retinal degeneration

Front Bioeng Biotechnol. 2022 Nov 14:10:905516. doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.905516. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Zibin Liu^{1

2}, Fang Zeng^{1

2}, Yao Zhang³, Yongqing Liu⁴, Zhuo Li^{1

2}, Xiao Liu^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Ophthalmology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.
² Hunan Clinical Research Center of Ophthalmic Disease, Changsha, China.
³ Department of Neurology, Hunan Provincial People's Hospital, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China.
⁴ Department of Medicine, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY, United States.

Abstract

With continued expansion of the aged population, the number of patients with retinal degeneration, which is a leading cause of vision loss worldwide, is growing. Stem cell therapies offer hope for regeneration and repair of damaged retinal tissue. Recent reports have highlighted stem cell-derived paracrine mediators, such as exosomes, which appear to exert a therapeutic benefit similar to their cell of origin and do not carry the risk of cell transplantation. One speculated role is that exosomes likely mediate intercellular communication and material exchange. This review depicts the molecular mechanisms underlying exosome-based therapy, especially in retina degeneration diseases. In the future, the use of stem cell-derived exosomes could be considered a novel and cell-free therapeutic strategy in regenerative medicine.

Keywords: cell-free therapy; exosomes; retinal degeneration; stem cell; stem cell-derived exosomes.

Publication types

Review