Selected Topics with Exosomes.

Exosome therapy can improve the repair of skin damage due to prolonged exposure to sunlight or photoaging.

Prolonged exposure to UV rays (sun exposure) results in photoaging. Photoaging of the skin is a complex biological process that affects several layers of the skin with the greatest damage seen in the connective tissue of the dermis. Histologically, photoaged skin is characterized by a loss of mature dermal collagen (type I and III collagen). In addition, type VII collagen responsible for stabilizing the dermal-epidermal junction is reduced in photoaged skin. With aging, human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs), the main cell population of the dermis, gradually lose their ability to produce collagen and renew the extracellular matrix. The loss of collagen in the extracellular matrix is ​​one of the manifestations of both intrinsic and extrinsic skin aging. Exosomes (Exos) are small spheres (40 to 160 nanometers in diameter) that are secreted and absorbed by diverse types of cells, and through this they can transfer DNA, RNA, or proteins from one cell to another, which affects the functions of the recipient cell.

Some studies have shown that Exos derived from mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) or HDFs are more effective in repairing skin cells damaged by the sun (UV light) and skin cells of photo-aged mice, compared to current treatments based on the use of retinol or the application of stem cells. Approaches with 3D cell cultures (3D spheroids) of fibroblasts from the human dermis and with MSC 2D cultures, have shown that the (Exos) obtained from these cultures, increase the in vitro cell growth and migration of fibroblasts, restore the synthesis of pro-collagen in in vitro cultures of aged fibroblasts (30 passages or subcultures) and revert the secretory phenotype associated with aging or senescence (SA-Beta-Gal) in fibroblasts exposed in vitro to UVB light (315 nm). These results suggest that exosome treatments can contribute to the disappearance of skin wrinkles and skin thickening, as well as to the prevention of damage from prolonged exposure to the sun, through activating anti-aging and repair mechanisms cells damaged by photoaging.

Treatments with Exos have also been tested in the photo-aged nude mouse model, to evaluate wrinkle removal. After comparing the effect of Exos derived from 3D HDF spheroids with treatments with retinoid cream (CAR), Exos derived from 2D HDF cultures and Exos obtained from MSC from bone marrow; Exos derived from 3D HDF cultures were found to favor fewer wrinkles and significantly thinner and more superficial wrinkles. At the tissue level, the Exos derived from the 3D HDF cultures, resulted in a greater quantity and density of collagen fibers in the dermis, the stratum corneum more compact in the epidermis and the thinner epidermal layers compared to the group No treatment. These results suggest that exosomes provide the best treatment for skin exposed to UV light, with fewer wrinkles, significantly thinner and more superficial, and promote thickening of the skin.

Exosomes can permeate the outermost layers of the epidermis and gradually penetrate deeper layers of the epidermis without causing a significant inflammatory reaction. In human skin cultured ex vivo, after a treatment with exosomes for 3 days, a greater expression of collagen I and elastin can be found, while in culture in vitro, exosomes integrate into human dermal fibroblasts, and this promotes their migration and increased collagen synthesis. The properties demonstrated with exosomes are essential for skin regeneration and rejuvenation and demonstrate the potential for use of exosomes with cosmetic skin care and rejuvenation products.

Bibliographic references:

  • Hu S, Li Z, Cores J, Huang K, Su T, Dinh PU, Cheng K. Needle-Free Injection of Exosomes Derived from Human Dermal Fibroblast Spheroids Ameliorates Skin Photoaging. ACS Nano. 2019 Oct 22;13(10):11273-11282. doi: 10.1021/acsnano.9b04384. Epub 2019 Aug 26. PMID: 31449388; PMCID: PMC7032013.
  • Oh M, Lee J, Kim YJ, Rhee WJ, Park JH. Exosomes Derived from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Ameliorate the Aging of Skin Fibroblasts. Int J Mol Sci. 2018 Jun 9;19(6):1715. doi: 10.3390/ijms19061715. PMID: 29890746; PMCID: PMC6032439.
  • Ferreira ADF, Gomes DA. Stem Cell Extracellular Vesicles in Skin Repair. Bioengineering (Basel). 2018 Dec 30;6(1):4. doi: 10.3390/bioengineering6010004. PMID: 30598033; PMCID: PMC6466099.
  • Meinhard Wlaschek, Iliana Tantcheva-Poór, Peter Brenneisen, Lale Kuhr, Ziba Razi-Wolf, Christine Hellweg, Lars-Alexander Schneider, Christian Meewes, Karin Scharffetter-Kochanek, Chapter 6 – The negative effects of solar and artificial irradiation: photoaging of the skin, its clinical appearance and underlying mechanisms, Editor(s): Paolo U. Giacomoni,Comprehensive Series in Photosciences, Elsevier, Volume 3, 2001, Pages 115-130.

3 thoughts on “Selected Topics with Exosomes.”

  1. I’m interested in exosome treatment for atopic dermatitis on the scalp. Topicals did not work.
    I have recently started Dupixent injections.
    It’s only been one month.
    Is exosome treatment still considered Experimental?

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