Mesenchymal Stem Cells And Their Secretome: A Promising Approach For Parkinson’s Disease Treatment

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a debilitating neurodegenerative disorder with increasing prevalence, and current treatments only alleviate symptoms without stopping disease progression. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) offer a promising approach for PD treatment due to their ability to differentiate into dopaminergic neurons and secrete neurotrophic factors, providing neuroprotective effects, promoting remyelination, reducing neural inflammation, and facilitating functional recovery. The therapeutic benefits of MSCs are mainly mediated through paracrine activity, particularly via extracellular vesicles (EVs) and exosomes, which can cross the blood-brain barrier and avoid ethical issues of cell-based therapies. Although the exact mechanisms are not fully understood, MSC-derived exosomes are believed to play a significant role in reparative effects, and bioengineering can enhance their drug delivery and targeting capabilities. This review discusses the potential of MSC and MSC-secretome/EV applications in PD treatment and suggests future research directions.