Releasing Exosomes—A new mechanism underlying the immune modulation of Stem Cell Educator therapy

Over last 10 years, Dr. Yong Zhao and his team developed the Stem Cell Educator (SCE) therapy, which harnesses the unique therapeutic potential of cord blood-derived stem cells (CB-SC) to treat the multiple immune dysfunctions. Clinical studies demonstrated the immune modulation of CB-SC for the treatment of type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, alopecia areata and other autoimmune diseases, with long-lasting clinical efficacy. To determine the molecular mechanisms underlying Stem Cell Educator therapy, Dr. Zhao’s research lab at Center for Discovery and Innovation of Hackensack Meridian Health, found that CB-SC-derived exosomes (a small vesicles about 100 nm) display multiple immune modulations and primarily target on monocytes, which gave rise to spindle-like macrophages displaying type 2 macrophage (M2) surface markers and up-regulating an expression of immune tolerance-related cytokines after the treatment with exosomes. SCE therapy has the potential to revolutionize the treatment of diabetes and multiple autoimmune diseases through CB-SC-mediated immune modulation, without the safety and ethical concerns associated with conventional immune and/or stem cell-based approaches. This work has been published in peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Immunology today.