Enhanced endometrial receptivity via epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)-loaded menstrual blood-derived exosomes.

Embryo implantation failure is a significant challenge in infertility treatment, accounting for a substantial number of treatment failures. Increasing endometrial receptivity can potentially overcome this issue. This study aims to introduce a novel approach for enhancing endometrial receptivity by preparing epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)-loaded menstrual blood-derived exosomes. Menstrual blood was used to isolate exosomes, which were then characterized for their size, zeta potential, morphology, and surface markers. EGCG was loaded into the isolated exosomes using sonication. The effects of EGCG-loaded exosomes on the adhesion ability of endometrial cells and the expression of endometrial receptivity-related genes were evaluated using in vitro implantation assays and real-time PCR, respectively. As results, exosomes with an average size of 86.2 nm, a surface charge of -11.8 mV, spherical morphology, and positive for CD9 and CD81 surface markers were successfully isolated. EGCG was loaded into exosomes with an encapsulation efficiency of 65.18 %. The in vitro implantation assay confirmed that EGCG-loaded exosomes had a greater potential to enhance the adhesion ability of endometrial cells compared to free EGCG. Furthermore, EGCG-loaded exosomes upregulated the expression of Leukemia inhibitory factor, homeobox A10, and integrin beta 3 genes more potently compared to free EGCG. These findings suggest that EGCG-loaded exosomes could be a therapeutic option for low endometrial receptivity. Moreover, menstrual blood-derived exosomes appear to be a promising drug delivery system for endometrial cells, offering a potential solution to the therapeutic limitations of the payload.