Review
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2020. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Stem Cells. Mar 26, 2020; 12(3): 178-187
Published online Mar 26, 2020. doi: 10.4252/wjsc.v12.i3.178
Mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles as a new therapeutic strategy for ocular diseases
Bo Yu, Xiao-Rong Li, Xiao-Min Zhang
Bo Yu, Xiao-Rong Li, Xiao-Min Zhang, Tianjin International Joint Research and Development Center of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Retinal Functions and Diseases, Eye Institute and School of Optometry, Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital, Tianjin 300384, China
Author contributions: All authors equally contributed to this manuscript.
Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 81800825, No. 81870651 and No. 81870675.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors have no conflicts to declare.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Xiao-Min Zhang, MD, PhD, Chief Doctor, Professor, Tianjin International Joint Research and Development Center of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Retinal Functions and Diseases, Eye Institute and School of Optometry, Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital, No. 251, Fukang Road, Tianjin 300384, China. xzhang08@tmu.edu.cn
Received: December 27, 2019
Peer-review started: December 27, 2019
First decision: February 20, 2020
Revised: February 22, 2020
Accepted: March 22, 2020
Article in press: March 22, 2020
Published online: March 26, 2020
Abstract

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have attracted considerable attention for their activity in the treatment of refractory visual disorders. Since MSCs were found to possess the beneficial effects by secreting paracrine factors rather than direct differentiation, MSC-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) were widely studied in various disease models. MSCs generate abundant EVs, which act as important mediators by exchanging protein and genetic information between MSCs and target cells. It has been confirmed that MSC-derived EVs possess unique anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, tissue repairing, neuroprotective, and immunomodulatory properties, similar to their parent cells. Upon intravitreal injection, MSC-derived EVs rapidly diffuse through the retina to alleviate retinal injury or inflammation. Due to possible risks associated with MSC transplantation, such as vitreous opacity and pathological proliferation, EVs appear to be a better choice for intravitreal injection. Small size EVs can pass through biological barriers easily and their contents can be modified genetically for optimal therapeutic effect. Hence, currently, they are also explored for the possibility of serving as drug delivery vehicles. In the current review, we describe the characteristics of MSC-derived EVs briefly, comprehensively summarize their biological functions in ocular diseases, and discuss their potential applications in clinical settings.

Keywords: Mesenchymal stem cells, Extracellular vesicles, Exosomes, Ocular diseases, Drug delivery

Core tip: The therapeutic potential of Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) has been widely studied in various diseases. In the current review, we summarize all the studies about the use of MSC-derived EVs in different ocular disorders, such as corneal injury, glaucoma, uveitis and retinal diseases. We also discuss the history and properties of MSC-derived EVs, the advantages of their use in treating eye diseases and their drug delivery potential. This review also provides future directions for enhancing the therapeutic effect of MSC-derived EVs in treating ocular diseases.