Wang JJ, Zheng Y, Li YL, Xiao Y, Ren YY, Tian YQ. Emerging role of mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes in the repair of acute kidney injury. World J Stem Cells 2025; 17(3): 103360 [DOI: 10.4252/wjsc.v17.i3.103360]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Yi-Qing Tian, Dr, Clinical Laboratory, Xuzhou Central Hospital, No. 199 Jiefang South Road, Xuzhou 221000, Jiangsu Province, China. 824303893@qq.com
Research Domain of This Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Article-Type of This Article
Minireviews
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Juan-Juan Wang, Yu Zheng, Yan-Lin Li, Clinical Laboratory, The First People’s Hospital of Yancheng, Yancheng First Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Yancheng 224000, Jiangsu Province, China
Yin Xiao, Department of Medical Imaging, The Affiliated Xuzhou Municipal Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221000, Jiangsu Province, China
Yi-Qing Tian, Clinical Laboratory, Xuzhou Central Hospital, Xuzhou 221000, Jiangsu Province, China
Co-first authors: Juan-Juan Wang and Yu Zheng.
Co-corresponding authors: Yang-Yang Ren and Yi-Qing Tian.
Author contributions: Wang JJ and Zheng Y drafted the initial manuscript and contributed equally to this manuscript as co-first authors; Li YL and Xiao Y contributed to the figure and table artwork and illustrations; Ren YY and Tian YQ conceptualized and designed the review and contributed equally to this manuscript as co-corresponding authors. All authors critically reviewed the manuscript for important intellectual content, approved the final manuscript as submitted, and agreed to be accountable for work.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Received: November 18, 2024 Revised: December 26, 2024 Accepted: February 13, 2025 Published online: March 26, 2025 Processing time: 124 Days and 18.2 Hours
Abstract
Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a clinical syndrome characterized by a rapid deterioration in kidney function and has a significant impact on patient health and survival. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have the potential to enhance renal function by suppressing the expression of cell cycle inhibitors and reducing the expression of senescence markers and microRNAs via paracrine and endocrine mechanisms. MSC-derived exosomes can alleviate AKI symptoms by regulating DNA damage, apoptosis, and other related signaling pathways through the delivery of proteins, microRNAs, long-chain noncoding RNAs, and circular RNAs. This technique is both safe and effective. MSC-derived exosomes may have great application prospects in the treatment of AKI. Understanding the underlying mechanisms will foster the development of new and promising therapeutic strategies against AKI. This review focused on recent advancements in the role of MSCs in AKI repair as well as the mechanisms underlying the role of MSCs and their secreted exosomes. It is anticipated that novel and profound insights into the functionality of MSCs and their derived exosomes will emerge.
Core Tip: Exosomes secreted by mesenchymal stem cells are increasingly recognized for their small size, lack of cellular components, stability, enhanced biocompatibility, and reduced toxicity. In studies of experimental acute kidney injury, exosomes have shown great potential in terms of their safety and efficacy as well as their ability to modulate gene expression and transcription in recipient cells.
