Mesenchymal stem cells offer the promise of true tissue regeneration and potentially offer cures for many of the chronic diseases that burden us as we age.  While their use remains controversial, recent research suggests that it is not the stem cells so much as the growth factors the stem cells secrete that are responsible for their healing and regenerative capacity. 

Exosomes are membrane-bound vesicles, like intracellular bubbles, that contain these secreted growth factors.  These vesicles can then merge with your own body’s cells, releasing their contents to signal injured cells to function more optimally.  They play a vital role in cell-to-cell signaling and are promising tools of the future of medicine that can be utilized now.  While the science is too uncertain to exert any claims, diseases that may potentially benefit from stem-cell-derived exosomes and growth factors include:

• Autoimmune disease

• Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis

• Parkinson’s Disease

• Alzheimer’s Disease

• Lupus

• Multiple Sclerosis and Systemic Sclerosis

• Graft versus host disease

• Bone and Joint Injuries