Journal Club Recap: January 18, 2019

January 18, 2019: At Journal Club, our experts sat down to discuss a paper on exosomes derived from mesenchymal stem cells.

Exosomes derived from mesenchymal stem cells attenuate inflammation and demyelination of the central nervous system in EAE rats by regulating the polarization of microglia

Researchers extracted exosomes, a part of a cell involved in intercellular signaling, from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. They treated rats with EAE (a common animal model of MS) with varying levels of these exosomes. They found that rats treated with exosomes, particularly high dosages, had better behavioral scores, healthier weights, and less inflammation and demyelination than untreated EAE rats. The exosome treatment had an anti-inflammatory effect both in rats and in an accompanying cell culture study. Further investigation is needed to determine whether stem cell exosomes have the potential for clinical treatment.