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Current Pain and Headache Reports

04-11-2024 | Osteoarthrosis | Alternative Treatments for Pain Medicine (C Robinson, Section Editor)

An Update on Emerging Regenerative Medicine Applications: The Use of Extracellular Vesicles and Exosomes for the Management of Chronic Pain

Authors: William D. Shipman, Raquel Fonseca, Moises Dominguez, Sadiq Bhayani, Christopher Gilligan, Sudhir Diwan, David Rosenblum, Sait Ashina, Reda Tolba, Alaa Abd-Elsayed, Alan D. Kaye, Jamal Hasoon, Michael E. Schatman, Timothy Deer, Jason Yong, Christopher L. Robinson

Published in: Current Pain and Headache Reports

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Abstract  

Purpose of Review

Chronic pain affects nearly two billion people worldwide, surpassing heart disease, diabetes, and cancer in terms of economic costs. Lower back pain alone is the leading cause of years lived with disability worldwide. Despite limited treatment options, regenerative medicine, particularly extracellular vesicles (EVs) and exosomes, holds early promise for patients who have exhausted other treatment options. EVs, including exosomes, are nano-sized structures released by cells, facilitating cellular communication through bioactive molecule transfer, and offering potential regenerative properties to damaged tissues. Here, we review the potential of EVs and exosomes for the management of chronic pain.

Recent Findings

In osteoarthritis, various exosomes, such as those derived from synovial mesenchymal stem cells, human placental cells, dental pulp stem cells, and bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), demonstrate the ability to reduce inflammation, promote tissue repair, and alleviate pain in animal models. In intervertebral disc disease, Wharton’s jelly MSC-derived EVs enhance cell viability and reduce inflammation. In addition, various forms of exosomes have been shown to reduce signs of inflammation in neurons and alleviate pain in neuropathic conditions in animal models.

Summary

Although clinical applications of EVs and exosomes are still in the early clinical stages, they offer immense potential in the future management of chronic pain conditions. Clinical trials are ongoing to explore their therapeutic potential further, and with more research the potential applicability of EVs and exosomes will be fully understood.
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Metadata
Title
An Update on Emerging Regenerative Medicine Applications: The Use of Extracellular Vesicles and Exosomes for the Management of Chronic Pain
Authors
William D. Shipman
Raquel Fonseca
Moises Dominguez
Sadiq Bhayani
Christopher Gilligan
Sudhir Diwan
David Rosenblum
Sait Ashina
Reda Tolba
Alaa Abd-Elsayed
Alan D. Kaye
Jamal Hasoon
Michael E. Schatman
Timothy Deer
Jason Yong
Christopher L. Robinson
Publication date
04-11-2024
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
Current Pain and Headache Reports
Print ISSN: 1531-3433
Electronic ISSN: 1534-3081
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11916-024-01309-4