Stem cell-derived exosomes: emerging therapeutic opportunities for wound healing

Wound healing is a dynamic and highly sequential process involving a series of overlapping spatial and temporal phases, including hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and tissue remodeling. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent stem cells with self-renewal, multidirectional differentiation potential, and paracrine regulation. Exosomes are subcellular vesicular components 30-150 nm in size and are novel carriers of intercellular communication in regulating the biological behaviors of skin cells. Compared to MSCs, MSC-derived exosomes (MSC-exos) possess lower immunogenicity, easy storage, and highly effective biological activity. MSC-exos, mainly derived from adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs), bone marrow-derived MSCs (BMSCs), human umbilical cord MSCs (hUC-MSCs), and other stem cell types, play a role in shaping the activity of fibroblasts, keratinocytes, immune cells, and endothelial cells in diabetic wounds, inflammatory wound repair, and even wound-related keloid formation. Therefore, this study focuses on the specific roles and mechanisms of different MSC-exos in wound healing, as well as the current limitations and various perspectives. Deciphering the biological properties of MSC-exos is crucial to providing a promising cell-free therapeutic tool for wound healing and cutaneous regeneration.