Protective effect of MSC-derived exosomes against cisplatin-induced apoptosis

Therapeutics based on stem cell technology, including stem cell-derived exosomes, have emerged in recent years for the treatment of what were otherwise considered incurable diseases. In this study, researchers from Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine and UCSD evaluated the efficacy of human MSC-derived exosomes for protection against cisplatin induced ototoxic hearing loss. Incubation of cochlear explants with MSC-derived exosomes prior to addition of cisplatin induced a reduction in cisplatin-induced drug toxicity in auditory hair cells but not when the exosomes were introduced simultaneously with or after cisplatin. The delivery of MSC-derived exosomes to cochlear explants was confirmed by the increasing protein levels of the exosome markers CD63 and HSP70 to reduce apoptosis. These results were consistent with those from a model in which MSC-derived exosomes protect auditory hair cells from cisplatin-induced drug toxicity in an ex vivo cochlear explant model and support future studies into the therapeutic benefits of stem cell-derived exosomes in clinical applications.

Summary of the role of bone marrow-Mesenchymal stem cells (bm-MSCs) derived extracellular vesicles(EVs). Released EVs transported HSP70 to hair cells to protect cell death on the cochlea explant when they were co cultured.