Exosomes in craniofacial tissue reconstruction

BACKGROUND: Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy gained interest among scientists following the discovery of its therapeutic potential. However, their clinical use has been hindered due to their immunogenicity and tumorigenicity. Relatively recently, it has been unveiled that the mechanism by which MSC promote healing is by secreting exosomes. This raised the interest in developing cell-free therapy, avoiding the obstacles that deterred the translation of MSC therapy into clinical practice. REVIEW: This comprehensive narrative review summarises the current understanding of exosome biogenesis and content. Moreover, the existing research on exosome use in bone tissue engineering is discussed. CONCLUSIONS: Exosome-based therapy may provide excellent potential in the field of bone tissue engineering and craniofacial reconstructive surgery. Further investigation is required before the technology can be translated into clinical practice.