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Updated: Dec 19, 2025

Isolation, Characterization, and Therapeutic Application of Extracellular Vesicles from Cultured Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Published on: September 23, 2022
The Therapeutic Potential of Extracellular Vesicles Versus Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Liver Damage
Dina M Rostom1, Noha Attia2,3, Hoda M Khalifa1
1Department of Medical Histology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Alexandria, Dr. Fahmi Abdelmeguid St., Mowassah Campus, Alexandria, 21561, Egypt.
Background:
The extracellular vesicles (EVs) secreted by bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) hold significant potential as a novel alternative to whole-cell therapy. We herein compare the therapeutic potential of BM-MSCs versus their EVs (MSC-EVs) in an experimental Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver damage rat model.
Methods:
Rats with liver damage received a single IV injection of MSC-EVs, 1 million MSCs, or 3 million MSCs. The therapeutic efficacy of each treatment was assessed using liver histopathology, liver function tests and immunohistochemistry for liver fibrosis and hepatocellular injury.
Results:
Animals that received an injection of either MSCs-EVs or 3 million MSCs depicted significant regression of collagen deposition in the liver tissue and marked attenuation of hepatocellular damage, both structurally and functionally.
Conclusion:
Similar to high doses of MSC-based therapy (3 million MSCs), MSC-EVs mitigated the fibrogenesis and hepatocellular injury in a rat model of CCl4-induced liver fibrosis. The anti-fibrinogenic effect was induced by attenuating hepatic stellate cell activation. Therefore, the administration of MSC-EVs could be considered as a candidate cell-free therapeutic strategy for liver fibrosis and hepatocellular damage.
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