Anti-fibrotic effect of extracellular vesicles derived from tea leaves in hepatic stellate cells and liver fibrosis mice

Study on the activity of targeted delivery of DOX against melanoma by exosome-like nanovesicles of Rhodiola rosea

Melanoma is the main cause of death from skin cancer. The current treatment methods have prominent toxic side effects. In order to more effectively inhibit melanoma and reduce the toxic side effects during treatment, this paper constructs an engineering system using DSPE-PEG2000-pYEEIE(pYEEIE) molecules to modify exosome-like nanovesicles vesicles of Rhodiola rosea (RELNs) and load Doxorubicin (DOX). As a drug system, the aim is to achieve better targeting activity of the system towards melanoma cell A375. The results showed that the morphology and particle size of the prepared RELNs met the defined criteria for evaluating extracellular vesicles. The pYEEIE-RELNs-DOX drug delivery system has a better inhibitory effect on cell proliferation compared to DOX and RELNs-DOX. At the same time, the pYEEIE-RELN-DOX drug delivery system also showed better targeting towards tumor cells. In summary, this study proposes for the first time RELNs as a new generation of drug delivery carriers and uses them for drug delivery and inhibition of melanoma cell toxicity. This lays the foundation for subsequent animal and clinical experiments, and provides new ideas for the treatment of skin cancer caused by melanoma.

Tea-derived exosome-like nanoparticles prevent irritable bowel syndrome induced by water avoidance stress in rat model

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Exosome-like nanoparticles (ELNs) have emerged as crucial mediators of intercellular communication, evaluated as potential bioactive nutraceutical biomolecules. We hypothesized that oral ELNs have some therapeutic effect on irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

METHODS

In our study, ELNs from tea (Camellia sinensis) leaves were extracted by differential centrifugation. We investigated the role of ELNs by assessing visceral hypersensitivity, body weight, bowel habits, tight junctions, and corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) in rats subjected to water avoidance stress (WAS) to mimic IBS with and without ELNs (1 mg/kg per day) for 10 days.

RESULTS

The average diameter of ELNs from LCC, FD and MZ tea tree were 165 ± 107, 168 ± 94, and 168 ± 108 nm, the concentration of ELNs were 1.2 × 1013, 1 × 1013, and 1.5 × 1013 particles/mL, respectively. ELNs can be taken up by intestinal epithelial cells. In WAS rats, ELNs significantly restored weight, recovered tight junctions, decreased CRH, and CRH receptor 1 expression levels and inhibited abdominal hypersensitivity in comparison to positive control.

CONCLUSIONS

Oral tea-derived ELN improves symptoms of IBS by potentially modulating the CRH pathway.

Revolutionizing medicine: Harnessing plant-derived vesicles for therapy and drug transport

The emergence of extracellular vesicles (EVs), which are natural lipid bilayer membrane structures facilitating intercellular substance and information exchange, has sparked innovative approaches in drug development and carrier enhancement. Plant-derived EVs notably offer advantages including low preparation cost, low immunogenicity, flexible drug delivery, high stability, good tissue permeability, and high inherent medicinal value compared to their animal-derived counterparts. Despite these promising attributes, the research on plant-derived EVs remains fragmented and lacks comprehensive synthesis. This review aims to address this gap by summarizing the isolation methods, biological characteristics, and storage techniques of plant-derived EVs. Additionally, we explore the potential of plant-derived EVs as therapeutic agents and drug carriers for treating various diseases. Finally, we delineate the current impediments to plant-derived EV development and highlight future research directions. By providing a detailed overview, we hope to facilitate further research and application in this emerging field.

A robust collagen-targeting MRI peptide contrast agent for in vivo imaging of hepatic fibrosis

We herein report the construction of a robust MRI peptide contrast agent Gd-ICTP with superior selectivity for type I collagen, enabling the accurate and non-invasive detection of hepatic fibrosis in vivo.

Oral administration of tea-derived exosome-like nanoparticles protects epithelial and immune barrier of intestine from psychological stress

Psychological stress disrupts the integrity of the intestinal barrier and is strongly linked to emotional disorders, behavioral changes, and gastrointestinal dysfunction. However, there are limited treatment options available for repairing the damage to the intestinal barrier. As a natural plant-based health beverage, tea (Camellia sinensis) has been shown to have various potentially advantageous effects on the intestinal barrier and immune function. In this study, we extracted bioactive molecules from tea leaves, named exosome-like nanoparticles (ELNs), and then examined their potential protective properties for the intestinal barrier. Through in vitro experimentation, we investigated whether tea-derived ELNs (TELNs) could offer a protective effect against lipopolysaccharides-induced damage to the intestinal barrier. In an in vivo experiment, rats were exposed to water avoidance stress and subsequently administered TELNs orally. The administration of TELNs resulted in the enhancement of the epithelial barrier in the intestine, effectively preventing bacterial translocation to the submucosae. Additionally, TELNs were found to improve the function of the intestinal immune barrier through the mediation of interleukin-22 and the increased secretion of antimicrobial peptide Reg3g. Notably, miR-44 and miR-54 in TELNs exhibited similar protective effects on the intestinal barrier. These findings suggest that TELNs possess the ability to restore the integrity of the intestinal barrier in the context of psychological stress.

Gut-liver axis: Potential mechanisms of action of food-derived extracellular vesicles

Food-derived extracellular vesicles (FEVs) are nanoscale membrane vesicles obtained from dietary materials such as breast milk, plants and probiotics. Distinct from other EVs, FEVs can survive the harsh degrading conditions in the gastrointestinal tract and reach the intestines. This unique feature allows FEVs to be promising prebiotics in health and oral nanomedicine for gut disorders, such as inflammatory bowel disease. Interestingly, therapeutic effects of FEVs have recently also been observed in non-gastrointestinal diseases. However, the mechanisms remain unclear or even mysterious. It is speculated that orally administered FEVs could enter the bloodstream, reach remote organs, and thus exert therapeutic effects therein. However, emerging evidence suggests that the amount of FEVs reaching organs beyond the gastrointestinal tract is marginal and may be insufficient to account for the significant therapeutic effects achieved regarding diseases involving remote organs such as the liver. Thus, we herein propose that FEVs primarily act locally in the intestine by modulating intestinal microenvironments such as barrier integrity and microbiota, thereby eliciting therapeutic impact remotely on the liver in non-gastrointestinal diseases via the gut-liver axis. Likewise, drugs delivered to the gastrointestinal system through FEVs may act via the gut-liver axis. As the liver is the main metabolic hub, the intestinal microenvironment may be implicated in other metabolic diseases. In fact, many patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease suffer from a leaky gut and dysbiosis. In this review, we provide an overview of the recent progress in FEVs and discuss their biomedical applications as therapeutic agents and drug delivery systems, highlighting the pivotal role of the gut-liver axis in the mechanisms of action of FEVs for the treatment of gut disorders and metabolic diseases.

Liver fibrosis: pathological features, clinical treatment and application of therapeutic nanoagents

Liver fibrosis is a reversible damage-repair response, the pathological features of which mainly include damage to hepatocytes, sinusoid capillarization, hepatic stellate cells activation, excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix and inflammatory response. Although some treatments (including drugs and stem cell therapy) for these pathological features have been shown to be effective, more clinical trials are needed to confirm their effectiveness. In recent years, nanomaterials-based therapies have emerged as an innovative and promising alternative to traditional drugs, being explored for the treatment of liver fibrosis diseases. Natural nanomaterials (including extracellular vesicles) and synthetic nanomaterials (including inorganic nanomaterials and organic nanomaterials) are developed to facilitate drug targeting delivery and combination therapy. In this review, the pathological features of liver fibrosis and the current anti-fibrosis drugs in clinical trials are briefly introduced, followed by a detailed introduction of the therapeutic nanoagents for the precise delivery of anti-fibrosis drugs. Finally, the future development trend in this field is discussed.

The Therapeutic Potential of Multipotent Mesenchymal Stromal Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles in Endometrial Regeneration

Disruption of endometrial regeneration, fibrosis formation, and intrauterine adhesions underlie the development of "thin" endometrium and/or Asherman's syndrome (AS) and are a common cause of infertility and a high risk for adverse obstetric outcomes. The methods used (surgical adhesiolysis, anti-adhesive agents, and hormonal therapy) do not allow restoration of the regenerative properties of the endometrium. The experience gained today with cell therapy using multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MMSCs) proves their high regenerative and proliferative properties in tissue damage. Their contribution to regenerative processes is still poorly understood. One of these mechanisms is based on the paracrine effects of MMSCs associated with the stimulation of cells of the microenvironment by secreting extracellular vesicles (EVs) into the extracellular space. EVs, whose source is MMSCs, are able to stimulate progenitor cells and stem cells in damaged tissues and exert cytoprotective, antiapoptotic, and angiogenic effects. This review described the regulatory mechanisms of endometrial regeneration, pathological conditions associated with a decrease in endometrial regeneration, and it presented the available data from studies on the effect of MMSCs and their EVs on endometrial repair processes, and the involvement of EVs in human reproductive processes at the level of implantation and embryogenesis.

A robust collagen-targeting MRI peptide contrast agent for in vivo imaging of hepatic fibrosis

We herein report the construction of a robust MRI peptide contrast agent Gd-ICTP with superior selectivity for type I collagen, enabling the accurate and non-invasive detection of hepatic fibrosis in vivo.