MSC-exosomes in regenerative medicine

Abstract Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) are adult multipotent stem cells that can home to damaged tissues and differentiate into specialized cells and have thus attracted significant attention in the field of regenerative medicine. Exosomes derived from MSCs exert the paracrine function of MSCs involved in tissue repair and mediate intercellular communication to induce cell-differentiation/self-renewal. Recent findings have shown that MSC-derived exosomes play a critical role in physiological and pathological processes and contribute to the therapeutic function of MSCs in regenerative medicine. This chapter provides a general overview of MSC-derived exosomes, which present a promising opportunity to develop novel cell-free therapy that avoids the obstacles and risks associated with stem cell therapy.