Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tangdu Hospital, Clinical Research Center for Reproductive Medicine and Gynecological Endocrine Diseases of Shaanxi Province, Air Force Medical University, No.1 Xinsi Road, Xi'an, 710038, China.
Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medicine, Air Force Medical University, No.169 West Changle Road, Xi'an, 710038, China.
Adv Mater. 2024 May;36(21):e2308921. doi: 10.1002/adma.202308921. Epub 2024 Apr 15.
Intrauterine adhesion (IUA) is characterized by the formation of fibrous scar tissue within the uterine cavity, which significantly impacts female reproductive health and even leads to infertility. Unfortunately, severe cases of IUA currently lack effective treatments. This study presents a novel approach that utilizes tumor necrosis factor-(TNF) stimulated gene 6 (TSG6)-modified exosomes (Exos) in conjunction with an injectable thermosensitive hydrogel (CS/GP) to mitigate the occurrence of IUA by reducing endometrium fibrosis in a mouse IUA model. This study demonstrate that TSG6-modified Exos effectively inhibits the activation of inflammatory M1-like macrophages during the initial stages of inflammation and maintains the balance of macrophage phenotypes (M1/M2) during the repair phase. Moreover, TSG6 inhibits the interaction between macrophages and endometrial stromal fibroblasts, thereby preventing the activation of stromal fibroblasts into myofibroblasts. Furthermore, this research indicates that CS/GP facilitates the sustained release of TSG6-modified Exos, leading to a significant reduction in both the manifestations of IUA and the extent of endometrium fibrosis. Collectively, through the successful construction of CS/GP loaded with TSG6-modified Exos, a reduction in the occurrence and progression of IUA is achieved by mitigating endometrium fibrosis. Consequently, this approach holds promise for the treatment of IUA.
宫腔粘连(IUA)的特征是子宫腔内形成纤维瘢痕组织,这严重影响了女性的生殖健康,甚至导致不孕。不幸的是,目前严重的 IUA 缺乏有效治疗方法。本研究提出了一种新方法,即利用肿瘤坏死因子-(TNF)刺激基因 6(TSG6)修饰的外泌体(Exos)联合可注射温敏水凝胶(CS/GP),通过减少子宫内膜纤维化来减轻 IUA 的发生,在小鼠 IUA 模型中。本研究表明,TSG6 修饰的外泌体在炎症早期有效抑制炎症 M1 样巨噬细胞的激活,并在修复阶段维持巨噬细胞表型(M1/M2)的平衡。此外,TSG6 抑制巨噬细胞与子宫内膜基质成纤维细胞之间的相互作用,从而防止基质成纤维细胞向肌成纤维细胞的激活。此外,这项研究表明,CS/GP 促进 TSG6 修饰的外泌体的持续释放,显著减少 IUA 的表现和子宫内膜纤维化的程度。综上所述,通过成功构建负载 TSG6 修饰的外泌体的 CS/GP,减轻子宫内膜纤维化可降低 IUA 的发生和进展。因此,这种方法有望用于治疗 IUA。