Research progress on the neurorestorative benefits of mesenchymal stem cell exosomes for the treatment of ischemic stroke

Ischemic stroke is one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide. A large number of preclinical studies have demonstrated that exogenous cell-based therapies such as mesenchymal stem cell transplantation can promote brain function recovery in the subacute phase of stroke. Emerging data indicate that mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes play a key role in mediating tissue repair by participating in intercellular signal transduction and transferring biological information especially microRNA to recipient cells, which affects endo-genous recovery in ischemic brain tissue after injury. In this review we briefly describe the characteristics and biological functions of exosomes and exosomal microRNA, and discuss the therapeutic effects of mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes on ischemic stroke from different perspectives. Finally, we outline the potential clinical value of exosomes and challenges of translating these therapies into clinical trials.