Therapeutic Efficacy of Extracellular Vesicles Derived from Stem Cell for Alzheimer's Disease: A Meta-Analysis Study

Alzheimer's disease (AD) poses a significant public health challenge, increasingly affecting patients' finances, mental health, and functional abilities as the global population ages. Stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles (SC-EVs) have emerged as a promising cell-free therapeutic approach for AD, although their precise mechanisms remain unclear. This meta-analysis aims to evaluate the effectiveness of SC-EVs in treating AD.

We systematically searched PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases up to December 31, 2023, identifying studies investigating SC-EVs therapy in AD rodent models. Outcome measures included Morris water maze and Y maze tests, β-amyloid pathology, and inflammatory markers. Statistical analyses utilized Stata 15.1 and R software.

This meta-analysis of 16 studies (2017-2023, 314 animals) demonstrates significant efficacy of SC-EVs therapy in AD models. Pooled analyses demonstrated that SC-EVs therapy significantly increased the learning function as measured by Morris water maze tests (MWM) by -1.83 (95% CI = -2.51 to -1.15, p < 0.0001), Y maze test by 1.66 (95% CI = 1.03 to 2.28, p < 0.0001), decreased Aβ plaques in the hippocampal by -2.10 (95% CI = -2.96 to -1.23, p < 0.0001), and proinflammatory cytokines Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) by -2.61 (95% CI = -4.87 to -0.35, p < 0.05), Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) by -2.37 (95% CI = -3.68 to -1.05, p < 0.001).

SC-EVs therapy shows promise in enhancing cognitive function and mitigating AD progression in preclinical models. Future research should focus on standardizing methodologies and comparing SC-EVs isolation techniques and dosing strategies to facilitate clinical translation.