Exosomes And Stroke Therapy: A Promising Frontier In Neurological Treatment

Stroke still is one of the leading causes of disability and death worldwide, despite the lack of adequate effective therapeutic for this condition is evident. Recent studies demonstrated the potential of exosomes as an attractive target for stroke therapy. Exosomes are small extracellular vesicles, involved in intercellular communication. The purpose of this article is to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the existing knowledge on the usage of exosomes in stroke treatment with references to the origin of exosomes, actions, clinically relevant effects, and potential prospects. This systematic analysis was performed by carrying out a literature survey and subsequent data analysis from preclinical and clinical experimentations. The results indicate that exosomes, specifically stem cell-derived exosomes can pass through the blood-brain barrier, exhibit low immunogenicity, and deliver therapeutic molecules such as microRNAs and proteins to the ischemic brain. Such properties enable the exosomes to promote neuroprotection, reduce inflammation, enhance angiogenesis, and stimulate neurogenesis, thereby they can improve the functional recovery of post-stroke patients. However, there are several issues that need to be tackled such as the standardization of exosome isolation, characterization, and delivery methods. Moreover, the article describes the mechanism of hypoxic exosomes in the central nervous system (CNS) as well as the potential of using it in stroke treatment. From the preclinical and initial clinical studies, it is evident that further investigations are essential to optimize exosome-based therapies and revolutionize stroke treatment

Keywords:

Exosome , Ischemic stroke , Neuroprotection , Angiogenesis , Stem cell-derived exosomes