Stem Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles as a Potential Therapeutic Tool for Eye Diseases: From Benchtop to Bedside.

Stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles (SC-EVs) have remarkably drawn clinicians' attention in treating ocular diseases. As a paracrine factor of stem cells and an appealing alternative for off-the-shelf cell-free therapeutics, SC-EVs can be conveniently applied topically on the ocular surface or introduced to the retina via intravitreal injection, without increasing the risks of immunogenesis or oncogenesis. This chapter aims to assess the potential applications for EV, obtained from various types of stem cells, in myriad eye diseases (traumatic, inflammatory, degenerative, immunological, etc.). To the best of our knowledge, all relevant pre-clinical studies are summarized here. Furthermore, we highlight the up-to-date status of clinical trials in the same realm and emphasize where future research efforts should be directed. For a successful clinical translation, various drawbacks of EVs therapy should be overcome (e.g., contamination, infection, insufficient yield, etc.). Moreover, standardized, and scalable extraction, purification, and characterization protocols are highly suggested to determine the exosome quality before they are offered to patients with ocular disorders.

Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cell Potential Regression of Dysplasia Associating Experimental Liver Fibrosis in Albino Rats.

OBJECTIVES: Assessing the therapeutic efficacy of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIO) labeled bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) on experimental liver fibrosis and associated dysplasia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MSCs were obtained from 10 male Sprague-Dawley rats while 50 female rats were divided into control (CG), liver fibrosis (CCL4, intraperitoneal injection of CCl4 for 8 weeks), and CCL4 rats treated with SPIO-labeled MSCs (MSCs/CCl4) with and without continuing CCL4 injection for another 8 weeks. Assessment included liver histopathology, liver function tests, transmission electron microscopic tracing for homing of SPIO-MSCs, immunofluorescence histochemistry for fibrosis and dysplasia markers (transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-ß1), proliferation nuclear antigen (PCNA), glypican 3)), and quantitative gene expression analysis for matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1). RESULTS: SPIO-labeled MSCs were engrafted in the fibrotic liver and the BM/MSCs demonstrated regression for fibrous tissue deposition and inhibition progression of dysplastic changes in the liver of CCl4-treated rats on both the histological and molecular levels. CONCLUSION: BM-MSCs possess regenerative and antidysplastic potentials.