The Nephroprotective Properties of Extracellular Vesicles in Experimental Models of Chronic Kidney Disease: a Systematic Review

Extracellular vesicle (EV)-based therapy was hypothesized as a promising regenerative approach which has led to intensive research of EVs in various pathologies. In this study, we performed a comprehensive systematic review of the current experimental evidence regarding the protective properties of EVs in chronic kidney disease (CKD). We evaluated the EV-based experiments, EV characteristics, and effector molecules with their involvement in CKD pathways. Including all animal records with available creatinine or urea data, we performed a stratified univariable meta-analysis to assess the determinants of EV-based therapy effectiveness. We identified 35 interventional studies that assessed nephroprotective role of EVs and catalogued them according to their involvement in CKD mechanism. Systematic assessment of these studies suggested that EVs had consistently improved glomerulosclerosis, interstitial fibrosis, and cell damage, among different CKD models. Moreover, EV-based therapy reduced the progression of renal decline in CKD. The stratified analyses showed that the disease model, administered dose, and time of therapeutic intervention were potential predictors of therapeutic efficacy. Together, EV therapy is a promising approach for CKD progression in experimental studies. Further standardisation of EV-methods, continuous improvement of the study quality, and better understanding of the determinants of EV effectiveness will facilitate preclinical research, and may help development of clinical trials in people with CKD. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT: [Image: see text] SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12015-021-10189-9.