Exosomes derived from umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells reduce microglia-mediated neuroinflammation in perinatal brain injury

BACKGROUND: Preterm newborns are at high risk of developing neurodevelopmental deficits caused by neuroinflammation leading to perinatal brain injury. Human Wharton’s jelly mesenchymal stem cells (hWJ-MSC) derived from the umbilical cord have been suggested to reduce neuroinflammation, in part through the release of extracellular vesicle-like exosomes. Here, we studied whether exosomes derived from hWJ-MSC have anti-inflammatory effects on microglia-mediated neuroinflammation in perinatal brain injury. METHODS: Using ultracentrifugation, we isolated exosomes from hWJ-MSC culture supernatants. In an in vitro model of neuroinflammation, we stimulated immortalized BV-2 microglia and primary mixed glial cells with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the presence or absence of exosomes. In vivo, we introduced brain damage in 3-day-old rat pups and treated them intranasally with hWJ-MSC-derived exosomes. RESULTS: hWJ-MSC-derived exosomes dampened the LPS-induced expression of inflammation-related genes by BV-2 microglia and primary mixed glial cells. The secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines by LPS-stimulated primary mixed glial was inhibited by exosomes as well. Exosomes interfered within the Toll-like receptor 4 signaling of BV-2 microglia, as they prevented the degradation of the NFκB inhibitor IκBα and the phosphorylation of molecules of the mitogen-activated protein kinase family in response to LPS stimulation. Finally, intranasally administered exosomes reached the brain and reduced microglia-mediated neuroinflammation in rats with perinatal brain injury. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that the administration of hWJ-MSC-derived exosomes represents a promising therapy to prevent and treat perinatal brain injury. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1186/s13287-019-1207-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.