Extracellular vesicles in disease therapy: Immunomodulatory and regenerative mechanisms

Recent advancements in the therapeutic application of extracellular vesicles (EVs) present highly promising solutions for the treatment of different diseases thanks to their capacity to mediate intercellular communications, modulate immune system responses, and promote tissue regeneration. The role of EVs in immune-mediated pathologies is gaining increasing attention due to their inherent ability to influence immune responses and mitigate inflammatory processes. This property is exemplified by the tumor-derived EVs that exerts immune suppression to enable tumor evasion or by the stem cell-derived EVs that modulate inflammation and promote tissue repair. Beside their immunomodulatory properties, EVs are recognized as therapeutic tools in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering approaches. Stem cell-derived EVs, in particular, have been shown to possess beneficial effects to promote wound healing and tissue regeneration through molecular mechanisms which stimulate angiogenesis, inhibit apoptosis and regulate cell activity and function. The potential use of EVs to treat disease conditions by supporting immunomodulation and tissue regeneration deserves to be explored in depth, representing a critical aspect for their translation in the clinical setting.Despite increasing evidence supporting their therapeutic potential, the specific biological and molecular mechanisms that regulate EV-mediated immunomodulation and tissue regeneration are not yet fully elucidated, representing a significant gap in knowledge that limits their clinical application. Crucial unanswered questions include how EVs influence gene expression and functionality in recipient immune cells, their interactions with the immune microenvironment, and the potential for these properties to be strategically leveraged in immune-mediated conditions such as malignancies, autoimmune disorders, and chronic inflammatory diseases. In parallel, although stem cell-derived EVs have exhibited promising outcomes in enhancing wound healing, angiogenesis, and tissue repair, the application of these findings in clinical settings necessitates a more profound mechanistic comprehension and rigorous preclinical validation. This Research Topic aims to address these open questions by collecting high-quality contributions that advance the understanding of EV biology in the context of immunomodulation and regeneration.This Research Topic aims to collect Original Research Articles, Brief Research Reports, Case Reports, Clinical Trials, General Commentaries, Opinion/Perspective articles, Mini Reviews, Reviews and Systematic Reviews which provide a comprehensive and interdisciplinary overview of the immunomodulatory and regenerative mechanisms of EVs in disease, with a particular focus on their translational and therapeutic potential within immunology.Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:• Mechanisms of EV-mediated immune regulation in health and disease • EVs in innate and adaptive immune responses • Immunomodulatory roles of EVs in inflammation and immune tolerance • EVs in tissue repair and regeneration • EVs in cancer immunology and tumor microenvironment • Engineering EVs for immunotherapy and regenerative applications • EVs as biomarkers in immune-related and degenerative diseases • EV-loaded biomaterials and hybrid therapeutic platforms • Scalable production, isolation, and characterization of EVs • Preclinical and clinical translation of EV-based therapies • Regulatory and manufacturing challenges Topic editors: Silvia Barbon, Antara Banerjee, Veronica Macchi, Andrea Porzionato, Surajit Pathak Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/81238/extracellular-vesicles-in-disease-therapy-immunomodulatory-and-regenerative-mechanisms