Role of mesenchymal stem cell-derived microvesicles in tissue repair

Results from recent studies suggest that the beneficial effect of stem cell-based therapy is mainly dependent on a paracrine effect. The paracrine hypothesis implicates the ability of stem cells to limit injury or coordinate repair through the release of soluble factors. Among these factors microvesicles (MVs) have emerged as a mechanism through which stem cells may reprogram injured cells. In fact, MVs released from stem cells may deliver proteins, bio-active lipids and nucleic acids to injured cells. In particular, the transfer of transcripts derived from stem cells may induce phenotypic and functional changes in the recipient cells that promote the activation of regenerative programs.