Therapeutic Small Extracellular Vesicles From Key Human Stem and Immune Cellular Sources: A Review

This review discusses the potential of small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) as next-generation therapeutics, highlighting their advantages over cell-based and liposomal therapies, such as their ability to cross biological barriers and fine-tune therapeutic effects. sEVs from stem and immune cells show promise in treating various diseases, including cardiovascular, orthopedic, neurological, autoimmune diseases, and cancer, by modulating signaling pathways and cellular responses. However, challenges like heterogeneity, quality control, systemic clearance, and scale-up limitations impede clinical translation. Ongoing advancements in assay development, microfluidic models, computational databases, and bioengineering are helping to overcome these obstacles, moving sEV-based therapies closer to clinical and commercial use.