Research progress in the effect and mechanism of stem cell-derived exosomes in tendon and enthesis repair / 中华创伤杂志

ABSTRACT

Tendon and enthesis injuries are common sports injuries that seriously impair patients′ daily activities and quality of life. Surgical reconstruction is the main treatment for tendon and enthesis injuries. However, the surgical effect is often unsatisfactory due to the structure of repaired tendon and enthesis remaining different from those of the native ones, and re-rupture is prone to occur. Exosomes are lipid bilayer vesicles containing varieties of active substances, which play a crucial role in the communication of different cells. As a new cell-free therapy, stem cell-derived exosomes have been widely studied in the fields of drug delivery, tissue engineering and degenerative diseases, but their role in tendon and enthesis repair is rarely concerned. Therefore, the authors review tendon and enthesis injuries from aspects of histological features, repair process, and repair effect and mechanism of action of stem cells-derived exosomes, aiming to provide new insights into the basic research and clinical treatment of tendon and enthesis injuries.