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Mesenchymal Stem Cell (MSCs) and MSC-Derived Extracellular Vesicles: Roles in Regenerative Medicine and Beyond

Edited by:

Hongcui Cao, PhD, Zhejiang University, China

Submission Status: Open   |   Submission Deadline: 15 April 2025


Stem Cell Research & Therapy is calling for submissions to our Collection on Mesenchymal Stem Cell (MSCs) and MSC-Derived Extracellular Vesicles (EVs): Roles in Regenerative Medicine and Beyond. We invite authors to submit original research or review articles describing the novel insights into, but not limited to, the isolation, characterization, mechanisms, therapeutic application and engineered drug delivery of MSCs or derived EVs.

About the Collection

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) hold great therapeutic potential for several diseases, as they possess the capacity of proliferation, differentiation, and chemo-taction essential for tissue regeneration. The properties of MSCs from different tissue sources vary, but generally approved capacity of prevention of fibrosis, improvement of inflammatory microenvironment, and regulation of immune development help MSCs to contribute to tissue regeneration.

MSCs-derived extracellular vehicles (EVs) serve as “nanocarriers” that deliver bioactivations, shedding light on non-cellular transplantation treatments for clinical application. And the engineered MSCs or EVs, the combination of bioactive materials and the novel nanotechnology enable more targeted-based precision therapy, increased treatment efficiency and in-depth mechanisms exploration.

We invite authors to submit original research or review articles describing the novel insights into, but not limited to, the isolation, characterization, mechanisms, therapeutic application and engineered drug delivery of MSCs or derived EVs.

  1. Mesenchymal stem cell exosomes are the most extensively researched type of Extracellular vesicles (EVs) that offer novel avenues for hair regeneration. However, their use in the field of hair regeneration was ...

    Authors: Yonghao Liu, Heng Zhou, Pengcheng Pang, Ye Liu, Jieying Situ, Junnan Wang, Yan He and Qingsong Ye
    Citation: Stem Cell Research & Therapy 2025 16:161
    Content type: Research Published on:

  2. This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic potential of cell-free Dexamethasone (Dex) primed Wharton’s jelly Mesenchymal stem cells derived conditioned media (DW) in addressing complications associated wi...

    Authors: Khushbu Priya, Sonali Rawat, Doli Das, Manaswi Chaubey, Hiral Thacker, Kiran Giri, Shambhavi Singh, Madhukar Rai, Sujata Mohanty and Geeta Rai
    Citation: Stem Cell Research & Therapy 2025 16:158
    Content type: Research Published on:

  3. Renal ischemia reperfusion (I/R) injury is a major contributor to graft dysfunction and inflammation leading to graft loss. The deregulation of purinergic signaling has been implicated in the pathogenesis of r...

    Authors: Bo Shao, Hong-da Wang, Shao-hua Ren, Qiang Chen, Zhao-bo Wang, Yi-ni Xu, Tong Liu, Cheng-lu Sun, Yi-yi Xiao, Hong-yu Jiang, Yi-cheng Li, Peng-yu Zhao, Guang-mei Yang, Xu Liu, Yu-fan Ren and Hao Wang
    Citation: Stem Cell Research & Therapy 2025 16:148
    Content type: Research Published on:

  4. Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) globally, presenting a significant therapeutic challenge. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) ha...

    Authors: Rongrong Li, Hongyan Tao, Kai Pan, Rui Li, Zhikun Guo, Xiaoniao Chen and Zongjin Li
    Citation: Stem Cell Research & Therapy 2025 16:142
    Content type: Research Published on:

  5. Aging entails a progressive decline in physiological functions, elevating the risk of age-related diseases like heart failure or aortic stenosis. Stem cell therapies, especially those that use paracrine signal...

    Authors: Jorge Sanz-Ros, Javier Huete-Acevedo, Cristina Mas-Bargues, Nekane Romero-García, Mar Dromant, Michel van Weeghel, Georges E. Janssens and Consuelo Borrás
    Citation: Stem Cell Research & Therapy 2025 16:138
    Content type: Research Published on:

  6. Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) initiates secondary injuries that worsen neurological damage and hinder recovery. While peripheral immune responses play a key role in stroke outcomes, clinical results from immunot...

    Authors: Shuna Chen, Chao Han, Zihan Shi, Xin Guan, Liyuan Cheng, Liang Wang, Wei Zou and Jing Liu
    Citation: Stem Cell Research & Therapy 2025 16:134
    Content type: Research Published on:

  7. While mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) therapies show promise for treating several indications due to their regenerative and immunomodulatory capacity, clinical translation has yet to be achieved due to a lack o...

    Authors: Thomas M. Spoerer, Andrew M. Larey, Winifred Asigri, Kanupriya R. Daga and Ross A. Marklein
    Citation: Stem Cell Research & Therapy 2025 16:125
    Content type: Research Published on:

  8. Tumors and injuries often lead to large mandibular defects. Accelerating the osteogenesis of large bone defect areas is a major concern in current research. In this study, dental pulp mesenchymal stem cells (D...

    Authors: Yuanyuan Jia, Mianmian Duan, Yan Yang, Duchenhui Li, Dongxiang Wang and Zhenglong Tang
    Citation: Stem Cell Research & Therapy 2025 16:119
    Content type: Research Published on:

  9. The stromal vascular fraction (SVF) has been validated for enhancing tissue regeneration because of its concentration of multipotent cells and growth factors, and for mitigating inflammatory response due to it...

    Authors: Yuyang Zeng, Di Sun, Rongrong Wang, Ran An, Jiaming Sun and Jie Yang
    Citation: Stem Cell Research & Therapy 2025 16:114
    Content type: Research Published on:

  10. The tissue injury in maxillofacial region affects patients’ physical function and specific mental health. This decade, utilizing regenerative medicine to achieve tissue regeneration has been proved a hopeful d...

    Authors: Lijun Zhang, Zihang Yu, Shuchang Liu, Fan Liu, Shijie Zhou, Yuanyuan Zhang and Yulou Tian
    Citation: Stem Cell Research & Therapy 2025 16:110
    Content type: Review Published on:

  11. Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a critical gastrointestinal disease in preterm infants, for which no specific treatment is established. We previously demonstrated that thrombin-preconditioned mesenchymal st...

    Authors: Sein Hwang, Se In Sung, Young Eun Kim, Misun Yang, Ara Koh, So Yoon Ahn and Yun Sil Chang
    Citation: Stem Cell Research & Therapy 2025 16:101
    Content type: Research Published on:

  12. Transplantation of nasal mucosa-derived mesenchymal stem cells (EMSCs) overexpressing neuropeptide S (NPS) is a promising approach for treating spinal cord injury (SCI). Despite the potential of stem cell ther...

    Authors: Wenhui Yang, Yilu Li, Yushi Tang, Zhenxing Tao, Mengyuan Yu, Cuiping Sun, Yang Ye, Bai Xu, Xudong Zhao, Yazhuo Zhang and Xiaojie Lu
    Citation: Stem Cell Research & Therapy 2025 16:100
    Content type: Research Published on:

  13. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) hold significant potential for various applications in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. Initially considered as a single cell type with defined characteristics, MS...

    Authors: Emma Heyman, Maria Olenic, Elly De Vlieghere, Stefaan De Smet, Bert Devriendt, Lieven Thorrez and Catharina De Schauwer
    Citation: Stem Cell Research & Therapy 2025 16:99
    Content type: Research Published on:

  14. Adipose tissue is a widely used autologous soft tissue filler in plastic surgery, particularly for volumetric restoration in cases of soft tissue deficiency. However, effectively controlling the retention rate...

    Authors: Guo Chen, Jie Long, Yuge Zhang, Xuhua Zhou, Botao Gao, Zijin Qin, Yuhan Zhu, Binyu Song, Ziwei Cui, Zhangzi liu, Man Xu, Zhou Yu, Baoqiang Song and Ziang Zhang
    Citation: Stem Cell Research & Therapy 2025 16:92
    Content type: Research Published on:

  15. With the exacerbation of the aging population trend, a series of neurodegenerative diseases caused by brain aging have become increasingly common, significantly impacting the daily lives of the elderly and imp...

    Authors: Jinglan Quan, Qing Liu, Pinghui Li, Zhiyu Yang, Yaohui Zhang, Fuxing Zhao and Gaohong Zhu
    Citation: Stem Cell Research & Therapy 2025 16:76
    Content type: Review Published on:

  16. Highly efficient targeted therapy is urgently needed for multiple myeloma (MM). Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are an attractive candidate of cell-based, targeted therapy due to their inherent tumor tropism. Ho...

    Authors: Mengshang Xiong, Chunfang Kong, Yang Lu, Jiaojun Liu, Weirong Ding, Tingting Zhang, Wei Zuo, Lixia Cao, Qiling Lu, Anna Li, Chaoyu Li, Liting Ding, Yutao Yan, Bo Ke and Caishui Wan
    Citation: Stem Cell Research & Therapy 2025 16:69
    Content type: Research Published on:

  17. Bone-related diseases impact a large portion of the global population and, due to their high disability rates and limited treatment options, pose significant medical and economic challenges. Mesenchymal stem c...

    Authors: Haiming Li, Peng Zhang, Minghui Lin, Kang Li, Cunxin Zhang, Xiao He and Kai Gao
    Citation: Stem Cell Research & Therapy 2025 16:68
    Content type: Review Published on:

  18. Mesenchymal stem cell (MSCs) of different tissue origins have become a new option for the treatment of premature ovarian failure (POF) as they can recovery the ovarian function. However, there were rarely rese...

    Authors: Jinhua Mo, Hong Hu, Pengdong Li, Yang Ye, Wanle Chen, Lei Chen, Jing Qiao, Xiaoying Zhao, Qiuxia Yan and Cairong Chen
    Citation: Stem Cell Research & Therapy 2025 16:67
    Content type: Research Published on:

  19. Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is a clonal disorder of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), characterized by ineffective hematopoiesis and a high risk of progression to acute myeloid leukemia. Elucidating the mech...

    Authors: Chunlai Yin, Xue Yan, Jinyi Ren, Cheng Zhang, Jiaqing Liu, Zilong Wang, Jing Liu, Weiping Li and Xia Li
    Citation: Stem Cell Research & Therapy 2025 16:53
    Content type: Research Published on:

  20. Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) have great potential for treating autoimmune diseases for their immunomodulatory and tissue-regenerative abilities; however, their therapeutic role in neu...

    Authors: Chunran Xue, Haojun Yu, Xuzhong Pei, Xiaoying Yao, Jie Ding, Xiying Wang, Yi Chen and Yangtai Guan
    Citation: Stem Cell Research & Therapy 2025 16:51
    Content type: Research Published on:

  21. Osteoporosis (OP), characterized by reduced bone mass and mineral density, is a global metabolic disorder that severely impacts the quality of life in affected individuals. Although current pharmacological tre...

    Authors: Alberto González-González, Itziar Álvarez-Iglesias, Daniel García-Sánchez, Monica Dotta, Ricardo Reyes, Ana Alfonso-Fernández, Alfonso Bolado-Carrancio, Patricia Díaz-Rodríguez, María Isabel Pérez-Núñez, José Carlos Rodríguez-Rey, Jesús Delgado-Calle and Flor M. Pérez-Campo
    Citation: Stem Cell Research & Therapy 2025 16:50
    Content type: Research Published on:

  22. The microenvironment of intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is characterized by oxidative stress, leading to the senescence of nucleus pulposus-derived mesenchymal stem cells (NPMSCs). The purpose of this ...

    Authors: Yongbo Zhang, Sheng Yang, Xuan You, Zhengguang Li, Liuyang chen, Rui Dai, Hua Sun and Liang Zhang
    Citation: Stem Cell Research & Therapy 2025 16:49
    Content type: Research Published on:

  23. Peritoneal fibrosis (PF) is a serious complication commonly associated with prolonged peritoneal dialysis. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and their exosomes (Exo) have shown significant therapeutic promise in t...

    Authors: Jiabin Liang, Jingxiu Zhao, Lin Yang, Qian Wang, Jing Liao, Jianhao Li, Weizhao Zhuang, Fanghong Li, Jinxian He, Yukuan Tang, Hanwei Chen and Chen Huang
    Citation: Stem Cell Research & Therapy 2025 16:40
    Content type: Research Published on:

  24. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) secreted by mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have been shown to provide significant protection against renal ischemia–reperfusion injury (IRI). Hypoxia has emerged as a promising s...

    Authors: Fei Yuan, Jie Liu, Liang Zhong, Pengtao Liu, Ting Li, Kexin Yang, Wei Gao, Guangyuan Zhang, Jie Sun and Xiangyu Zou
    Citation: Stem Cell Research & Therapy 2025 16:39
    Content type: Research Published on:

  25. Type1 Diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disorder characterised by the loss of pancreatic β-cells. This β cell loss occurs primarily through inflammatory pathways culminating in apoptosis. Mesenchymal stromal cel...

    Authors: Cathal Patrick Forkan, Aruna Shrestha, Alfred Yu, Christine Chuang, Flemming Pociot and Reza Yarani
    Citation: Stem Cell Research & Therapy 2025 16:37
    Content type: Review Published on:

  26. Mesenchymal stem cells have great potential for repairing articular cartilage and treating knee osteoarthritis (KOA). Nonetheless, little is known about the efficacy of human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem c...

    Authors: Jigang Lei, Xingyi Chen, Haohao Xie, Yuhao Dai, Zhongjin Chen and Liang Xu
    Citation: Stem Cell Research & Therapy 2025 16:24
    Content type: Research Published on:

  27. The senescence of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) is increasingly recognized as a critical factor contributing to the pathophysiology of age-related diseases. Recent studies suggest that small extr...

    Authors: Yihan Ma, Chongfu Zhao, Jingjing Feng, Junjie Gou, Enci Kang, Feng Guan, Qiong Wu and Xiang Li
    Citation: Stem Cell Research & Therapy 2025 16:23
    Content type: Research Published on:

  28. Articular cartilage injuries can lead to pain, stiffness, and reduced mobility, and may eventually progress to osteoarthritis (OA). Despite substantial research efforts, effective therapies capable of regenera...

    Authors: María Piñeiro-Ramil, Iván Gómez-Seoane, Ana Isabel Rodríguez-Cendal, Isaac Fuentes-Boquete and Silvia Díaz-Prado
    Citation: Stem Cell Research & Therapy 2025 16:11
    Content type: Review Published on:

  29. Human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) constitute a promising alternative for central nervous system (CNS) cell therapy. Unlike other human stem cells, hDPSCs can be differentiated, without genetic modification...

    Authors: B. Pardo-Rodríguez, A. M. Baraibar, I. Manero-Roig, J. Luzuriaga, J. Salvador-Moya, Y. Polo, R. Basanta-Torres, F. Unda, S. Mato, Gaskon Ibarretxe and Jose Ramon Pineda
    Citation: Stem Cell Research & Therapy 2025 16:10
    Content type: Research Published on:

  30. Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) is an effective and injection-free route for allergen-specific immunotherapy (AIT). Mesenchymal stromal/stem cell (MSC)-derived exosomes (Exo) has been identified as a novel del...

    Authors: Mahvash Sadeghi, Sajad Dehnavi, Ali Khodadadi, Ata. A. Ghadiri, Ali Ganji, Moosa Sharifat and Ali Asadirad
    Citation: Stem Cell Research & Therapy 2024 15:481
    Content type: Research Published on:

  31. Exosomes, small extracellular vesicles secreted by cells, have emerged as focal mediators in intercellular communication and therapeutic interventions across diverse biomedical fields. Inflammatory disorders, ...

    Authors: Mavra Saleem, Khawar Ali Shahzad, Munazzah Marryum, Shekhar Singh, Quan Zhou, Siting Du, Shuanghu Wang, Chuxiao Shao and Imran Ibrahim Shaikh
    Citation: Stem Cell Research & Therapy 2024 15:477
    Content type: Review Published on:

  32. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are widely applied in the treatment of various clinical diseases and in the field of medical aesthetics. However, MSCs exhibit greater heterogeneity limited stability, and more co...

    Authors: Xinyuan Bi, Bin Ma, Wei Liu, Wei-Qiang Gao, Jian Ye and Hanyu Rao
    Citation: Stem Cell Research & Therapy 2024 15:467
    Content type: Research Published on:

  33. Minor salivary gland mesenchymal stem cells (MSGMSCs) can be easily extracted and have a broad range of sources. Applying exosomes to wounds is a highly promising method for promoting wound healing. Exosomes d...

    Authors: Haibo Xiang, Pengbing Ding, Jiaying Qian, Enhang Lu, Yimou Sun, Seyeon Lee, Zhenkun Zhao, Zhixuan Sun and Zhenmin Zhao
    Citation: Stem Cell Research & Therapy 2024 15:462
    Content type: Research Published on:

  34. Successful engraftment and localization of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) within target tissues are critical factors influencing their therapeutic efficacy for tissue repair and regeneration. However, the relat...

    Authors: Xin Ji, Lizhen Wang, Yudan Zhong, Qian Xu, Junjie Yan, Donghui Pan, Yuping Xu, Chongyang Chen, Jing Wang, Guangji Wang, Min Yang, Tiannv Li, Lijun Tang and Xinyu Wang
    Citation: Stem Cell Research & Therapy 2024 15:456
    Content type: Research Published on:

  35. Increasing evidence suggests that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) repair traumatized tissues primarily through paracrine secretion and differentiation into specific cell types. However, the role of epithelial di...

    Authors: Yongzheng Li, Lingling Dong, Yani Chen, Wenjin Cai, Guoli Yang and Ying Wang
    Citation: Stem Cell Research & Therapy 2024 15:455
    Content type: Research Published on:

  36. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been considered promising tools in regenerative medicine. However, the nanoscale properties of EVs make them sensitive to environmental conditions. Optimal storage protocols a...

    Authors: Shahin Ahmadian, Negin Jafari, Amin Tamadon, Alireza Ghaffarzadeh, Reza Rahbarghazi and Mahdi Mahdipour
    Citation: Stem Cell Research & Therapy 2024 15:453
    Content type: Review Published on:

  37. Mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) therapy commonly involves systemic infusion of MSCs, which undergo apoptosis in the lung and induce immunoregulatory macrophages that reduce disease. The relevance of this mode o...

    Authors: Di Zheng, Tejasvini Bhuvan, Natalie L. Payne, Swee H. M. Pang, Senora Mendonca, Mark R. Hutchinson, Flyn McKinnirey, Charlotte Morgan, Graham Vesey, Laurence Meagher and Tracy S. P. Heng
    Citation: Stem Cell Research & Therapy 2024 15:432
    Content type: Research Published on:

  38. Bone regeneration is a complex biological process that relies on the orchestrated interplay of various cellular and molecular events. Bone tissue engineering is currently the most promising method for treating...

    Authors: Li Deng, Yang Liu, Qian Wu, Shuang Lai, Qiu Yang, Yandong Mu and Mingqing Dong
    Citation: Stem Cell Research & Therapy 2024 15:407
    Content type: Review Published on:

  39. Since wound healing is one of the most important medical challenges and common dressings have not been able to manage this challenge well today, efforts have been increased to achieve an advanced dressing. Mes...

    Authors: Alireza Ghasempour, Hamideh Dehghan, Mahmoud Mahmoudi and Fahimeh Lavi Arab
    Citation: Stem Cell Research & Therapy 2024 15:406
    Content type: Review Published on:

  40. Acetaminophen (APAP) overdose is a significant cause of drug-induced liver injury (DILI). N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is the first-line agent used in the clinic. However, it rarely benefits patients with advanced A...

    Authors: Erming Zhao, Rukang Liang, Panlong Li, Di Lu, Shuhan Chen, Weikeng Tan, Yunfei Qin, Yana Zhang, Yingcai Zhang, Qi Zhang and Qiuli Liu
    Citation: Stem Cell Research & Therapy 2024 15:392
    Content type: Research Published on:

  42. Periodontitis, a globally prevalent chronic inflammatory disease is characterized by the progressive degradation of tooth-supporting structures, particularly the periodontal ligament (PDL), which can eventuall...

    Authors: Shuyi Wen, Xiao Zheng, Wuwei Yin, Yushan Liu, Ruijie Wang, Yaqi Zhao, Ziyi Liu, Cong Li, Jincheng Zeng and Mingdeng Rong
    Citation: Stem Cell Research & Therapy 2024 15:389
    Content type: Review Published on:

  43. Diabetes mellitus (DM), a chronic metabolic disease, poses a significant global health challenge, with current treatments often fail to prevent the long-term disease complications. Mesenchymal stem/stromal cel...

    Authors: Alaa Zeinhom, Sahar A. Fadallah and Marwa Mahmoud
    Citation: Stem Cell Research & Therapy 2024 15:384
    Content type: Review Published on:

  44. Stem cell therapy constitutes a pivotal subject in contemporary discourse, with donor stem cells having been employed in research and clinical treatments for several decades. Primary cell transplantation encom...

    Authors: Zewen Wu, Yazhen Su, Jingxuan Li, Xinling Liu, Yang Liu, Li Zhao, Linxin Li and Liyun Zhang
    Citation: Stem Cell Research & Therapy 2024 15:367
    Content type: Review Published on:

  45. Burn injuries are serious injuries that have a big impact on a person’s health and can even cause death. Incurring severe burns can incite an immune response and inflammation within the body, alongside metabol...

    Authors: Tasaduq Manzoor, Nida Farooq, Arushi Sharma, Parvaiz A. Shiekh, Amreena Hassan, Lateef Ahmad Dar, Junaid Nazir, Meena Godha, Faheem A. Sheikh, Mudasir Bashir Gugjoo, Sahar Saleem and Syed Mudasir Ahmad
    Citation: Stem Cell Research & Therapy 2024 15:355
    Content type: Review Published on:

  46. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are recognized for their potential in regenerative medicine, attributed to their multipotent differentiation capabilities and immunomodulatory properties. Despite this potentia...

    Authors: Nour Ebrahim, Nikolay Kondratyev, Alexander Artyuhov, Alexei Timofeev, Nadya Gurskaya, Alexey Andrianov, Roman Izrailov, Egor Volchkov, Tatyana Dyuzheva, Elena Kopantseva, Ekaterina Kiseleva, Vera Golimbet and Erdem Dashinimaev
    Citation: Stem Cell Research & Therapy 2024 15:351
    Content type: Research Published on:

Submission Guidelines

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This Collection welcomes submissions of original research and review articles. Should you wish to submit a different article type, please read our submission guidelines to confirm that type is accepted by the journal. 

Articles for this Collection should be submitted via Editorial Manager. Please select the appropriate Collection title “Mesenchymal Stem Cell (MSCs) and MSC-Derived Extracellular Vesicles: Roles in Regenerative Medicine and Beyond" from the dropdown menu.

Articles will undergo the journal’s standard peer-review process and are subject to all the journal’s standard policies. Articles will be added to the Collection as they are published.

The Editors have no competing interests with the submissions which they handle through the peer-review process. The peer-review of any submissions for which the Editors have competing interests is handled by another Editorial Board Member who has no competing interests.