From Mechanism to Therapy: The Role of MSC-EVs in Alleviating Radiation-Induced Injuries
Chong Huang,
Heng Li,
Zhiyue Zhang,
Ting Mou,
Dandan Wang,
Chenlu Li,
Lei Tian,
Chunlin Zong
Affiliations
Chong Huang
State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Stomatology, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
Heng Li
State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Stomatology, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
Zhiyue Zhang
State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Stomatology, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
Ting Mou
School of Stomatology, Jiamusi University, Jiamusi 154007, China
Dandan Wang
State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Stomatology, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
Chenlu Li
State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Stomatology, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
Lei Tian
State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Stomatology, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
Chunlin Zong
State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Stomatology, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China
Radiation injury is a severe issue in both nuclear accidents and cancer radiotherapy. Ionizing radiation impairs the regenerative and repair capabilities of tissues and organs, resulting in a scarcity of effective therapeutic approaches to prevent or mitigate such injuries. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) possess favorable biological characteristics and have emerged as ideal candidates for the treatment of radiation injury. However, the use of MSCs as therapeutic agents is associated with uncertainties in therapeutic efficacy, transient effects, and the risk of immune rejection. Recent advances in research have revealed that extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from mesenchymal stem cells (MSC-EVs) exhibit similar beneficial properties to MSCs and represent a promising cell-free therapy for mitigating radiation injuries. MSC-EVs are enriched with microRNAs (miRNAs), proteins, and lipids, which can modulate immune responses, inflammatory reactions, cell survival, and proliferation in irradiated tissues. This review synthesizes recent studies on the application of MSC-EVs in radiation injury, focusing on the therapeutic effects and mechanisms of MSC-EVs derived from various sources in radiation-induced diseases of different organs. The therapeutic potential of MSC-EVs for radiation injury provides valuable insights for addressing ionizing radiation-induced injuries and offers a reference for future clinical applications.
