Hypoxia-preconditioned WJ-MSC spheroid-derived exosomes delivering miR-210 for renal cell restoration in hypoxia-reoxygenation injury.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Recent advancements in mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) technology have paved the way for innovative treatment options for various diseases. These stem cells play a crucial role in tissue regeneration and repair, releasing local anti-inflammatory and healing signals. However, challenges such as homing issues and tumorigenicity have led to exploring MSC-exosomes as a promising alternative. MSC-exosomes have shown therapeutic potential in conditions like renal ischemia-reperfusion injury, but low production yields hinder their clinical use. METHODS: To address this limitation, we examined hypoxic preconditioning of Wharton jelly-derived MSCs (WJ-MSCs) 3D-cultured in spheroids on isolated exosome yields and miR-21 expression. We then evaluated their capacity to load miR-210 into HEK-293 cells and mitigate ROS production, consequently enhancing their survival and migration under hypoxia-reoxygenation conditions. RESULTS: MiR-210 overexpression was significantly induced by optimized culture and preconditioning conditions, which also improved the production yield of exosomes from grown MSCs. The exosomes enriched with miR-210 demonstrated a protective effect by improving survival, reducing apoptosis and ROS accumulation in damaged renal cells, and ultimately promoting cell migration. CONCLUSION: The present study underscores the possibility of employing advanced techniques to maximize the therapeutic attributes of exosomes produced from WJ-MSC spheroid for improved recovery outcomes in ischemia-reperfusion injuries.