Evaluation of the pro-angiogenic effect of nanoscale extracellular vesicles derived from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells

Selected paper from the 6th China–France International Symposium “Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine” and the first meeting of the France–China International CNRS Network (GDRI) CeSMeR, Nancy, 10–13 July 2016; International audience; Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a common tool in regenerative medicine. The nanoscale extracellular vesicles (nEVs) secreted by these cells were recently brought up to light thanks to their therapeutic potential. In this study, we assessed the in vitro behaviour of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) exposed to nEVs derived from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs). Nanoscale extracellular vesicles were isolated and characterized by NanoSight® and flow cytometry. HUVECs were stimulated with various concentrations of nEVs. To assess nEV interactions with HUVECs, confocal microscopy and angiogenesis assay were performed. The use of nEVs derived from hUC-MSCs was able to produce positive outcomes on HUVECs by acting on their angiogenic potential.