Chang Yu-Hsun, Wu Kun-Chi, Ding Dah-Ching
Department of Pediatrics, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Tzu Chi University, Hualien 970, Taiwan.
Department of Orthopedics, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Tzu Chi University, Hualien 970, Taiwan.
Int J Mol Sci. 2025 Apr 17;26(8):3785. doi: 10.3390/ijms26083785.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic degenerative joint disease. Our previous study demonstrated that extracellular vesicles (EVs) secreted by human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (HUCMSCs), which play a crucial role in regenerative medicine, have therapeutic effects on OA. Additionally, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has been widely used in musculoskeletal diseases as it promotes wound healing, angiogenesis, and tissue remodeling; however, its efficacy as a stand-alone therapy remains controversial. Therefore, we investigated the therapeutic effects of combining stem cell-derived EVs with PRP in an OA model. HUCMSC-derived EVs treated with PRP were used as the experimental group, whereas HUCMSC-derived EVs cultured with serum-free (SF) or exosome-depleted fetal bovine serum (exo(-)FBS) and PRP served as controls. PRP-treated HUCMSCs maintained their surface antigen characteristics and potential to differentiate into adipocytes, osteoblasts, and chondrocytes. In the OA model, mice treated with HUCMSCs + 5% PRP-derived EVs showed significantly improved motor function compared to controls and were comparable to those treated with HUCMSCs +SF and +exo(-)FBS-derived EVs. Additionally, increased type II collagen and aggrecan and decreased IL-1β expression were observed in cartilage transplanted with various EVs. In conclusion, PRP enhances HUCMSC differentiation, whereas treatment with EVs improves OA outcomes, providing a promising strategy for future clinical applications.
骨关节炎（OA）是一种慢性退行性关节疾病。我们之前的研究表明，在再生医学中发挥关键作用的人脐带间充质干细胞（HUCMSCs）分泌的细胞外囊泡（EVs）对OA具有治疗作用。此外，富血小板血浆（PRP）因其促进伤口愈合、血管生成和组织重塑而已广泛应用于肌肉骨骼疾病；然而，其作为单一疗法的疗效仍存在争议。因此，我们在OA模型中研究了将干细胞衍生的EVs与PRP联合使用的治疗效果。用PRP处理的HUCMSC衍生的EVs作为实验组，而用无血清（SF）或外泌体耗尽的胎牛血清（exo(-)FBS）和PRP培养的HUCMSC衍生的EVs作为对照。PRP处理的HUCMSCs保持其表面抗原特征以及分化为脂肪细胞、成骨细胞和软骨细胞的潜力。在OA模型中，与对照组相比，用HUCMSCs + 5% PRP衍生的EVs处理的小鼠运动功能显著改善，且与用HUCMSCs + SF和 + exo(-)FBS衍生的EVs处理的小鼠相当。此外，在移植了各种EVs的软骨中观察到II型胶原蛋白和聚集蛋白聚糖增加，IL-1β表达降低。总之，PRP增强HUCMSC分化，而用EVs治疗可改善OA结局，为未来的临床应用提供了一种有前景的策略。
