Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles as Therapeutics and as a Drug Delivery Platform

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are one of the most easily accessible stem cells that can be obtained from various human tissues. They have raised considerable interests for their potential applications in tissue repair, anti-cancer therapy, and inflammation suppression. Stem cell-based therapy was first used to treat muscular dystrophies and has been studied intensively for its efficacy in various disease models, including myocardial infarction, kidney injuries, liver injuries, and cancers. In this review, we summarized the potential mechanisms underlying MSC-derived EVs therapy as a drug delivery platform. Additionally, based on currently published data, we predicted a potential therapeutic role of cargo proteins shuttled by EVs from MSCs. These data may support the therapeutic strategy of using the MSC-derived EVs to accelerate this strategy from bench to bedside. Stem Cells Translational Medicine 2019;8:880&886