The Angiogenic Paracrine Potential of Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Abstract

Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine are branches of biomedical sciences that facilitate the use of cells and biocompatible scaffolds in favor of tissue restoration. In this regard, restoration and maintenance of angiogenesis and blood supplementation could be an effective strategy for injured tissue removal, accelerating healing rate, and successful transplantation of cells and scaffolds into target sites. It has been elucidated that mesenchymal stem cells have the potency to promote angiogenesis via paracrine activity and trans-differentiation into the endothelial lineage. In this chapter, we highlighted the paracrine property of mesenchymal stem cells to modulate angiogenesis in the target tissues. family proteins regulate intercellular trafficking and docking of MVBs. In the secretory pathway, MVBs actively fuse with the plasma membrane to release exosomes into the extracellular space. In alternative pathways, MVB could prefer binding to the lysosome or directly fuse back to the plasma membrane. Once secreted, exosomes enroll several mechanisms to arrive at the target cell: (I) enter through internalization process; (II) bind through receptor-ligand interactions, (III) direct fusion with the plasma membrane of the target cell. Exosomes are able to affect the biological processes of the target cells.