Intravenous Cardiac Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes Ameliorate Cardiac Dysfunction in Doxorubicin Induced Dilated Cardiomyopathy

Stem Cells Int. 2015:2015:960926. doi: 10.1155/2015/960926. Epub 2015 Aug 17.

Abstract

Despite the efficacy of cardiac stem cells (CSCs) for treatment of cardiomyopathies, there are many limitations to stem cell therapies. CSC-derived exosomes (CSC-XOs) have been shown to be responsible for a large portion of the regenerative effects of CSCs. Using a mouse model of doxorubicin induced dilated cardiomyopathy, we study the effects of systemic delivery of human CSC-XOs in mice. Mice receiving CSC-XOs showed improved heart function via echocardiography, as well as decreased apoptosis and fibrosis. In spite of using immunocompetent mice and human CSC-XOs, mice showed no adverse immune reaction. The use of CSC-XOs holds promise for overcoming the limitations of stem cells and improving cardiac therapies.