Evidence mapPaperPMID 41689136Full record

ArticleStem cell research & therapy2026

Extracellular vesicles from human adipose-derived stem cells relieve pain and inflammation in a rat model of knee osteoarthritis.

Woo Sung Kim, Chang Hee Woo, Kyoung Soo Lee, Young Chan Choi, Ye Eun Yun, Ji Suk Choi, Yong Woo Cho

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Article in Stem cell research & therapy, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Woo Sung KimExostemtech, Inc., Ansan, Korea.
Chang Hee WooExostemtech, Inc., Ansan, Korea.
Kyoung Soo LeeExostemtech, Inc., Ansan, Korea.
Young Chan ChoiExostemtech, Inc., Ansan, Korea.
Ye Eun YunDepartment of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Hanyang University ERICA, Ansan, Korea.
Ji Suk ChoiExostemtech, Inc., Ansan, Korea. jschoi@exostemtech.com.
Yong Woo ChoExostemtech, Inc., Ansan, Korea. ywcho7@hanyang.ac.kr.

Funding

Korean Fund For Regenerative Medicine (KFRM) 21C0711L1Ministry of Trade, Industry & Energy (MOTIE), Korea Planning & Evaluation Institute of Industrial Technology (KEIT) RS-2024-00443773National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) NRF-2022R1A2C2093149
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundInflammatory pain is a hallmark symptom of osteoarthritis (OA), characterized by spontaneous hypersensitivity resulting from tissue damage and chronic inflammation. This study investigates the pain-relieving and cartilage-protective potential of extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs) as a cell-free therapeutic approach for OA.

methodshASC-EVs were isolated via multi-filtrations based on tangential flow filtration (TFF) and characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA), dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential measurement, flow cytometry and Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)-based proteomic analysis. An in vitro inflammatory OA model was established by treating human osteoarthritic chondrocytes (HC-OA) with interleukin-1β (IL-1β). The expression of inflammation- and pain-related genes was assessed by quantitative PCR (qPCR), and modulation of the Phosphoinositide 3-kinase / Protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) signaling pathway was analyzed using an antibody array. In vivo therapeutic effects were evaluated in seven-week-old male Wistar rats using a monosodium iodoacetate (MIA)-induced OA model following intra-articular injection of hASC-EVs. Pain behavior was assessed via paw withdrawal latency (PWL), paw withdrawal threshold (PWT), and weight-bearing tests. Cartilage protection was evaluated by histological and immunohistochemical stainings (IHC).

resultshASC-EVs were efficiently internalized into chondrocytes and significantly suppressed IL-1β-induced expression of pain and inflammatory markers (TRPA1, COX-2, MMP-2, MMP-3, and MMP-9). Additionally, hASC-EVs down-regulated key PI3K/Akt signaling genes, such as PIK3CA and AKT1. In vivo, hASC-EV treatment markedly improved PWL, PWT, and weight-bearing performance compared with untreated OA rats. Histological and immunohistochemical analyses revealed reduction of inflammatory cytokine expression and preservation of collagen type II, indicating both anti-inflammatory and cartilage-protective effects.

conclusionshASC-EVs exhibited robust pain-relieving and cartilage-preserving effects in an OA rat model, highlighting their potential as a promising cell-free therapeutic strategy for the management of OA-related pain and joint degeneration.

Indexed as

Adipose TissueExtracellular VesiclesInflammationOsteoarthritis, KneePainStem CellsAnimalsChondrocytesDisease Models, AnimalHumansInterleukin-1betaMaleRatsRats, WistarSignal TransductionInterleukin-1betaCartilage protectionExtracellular vesiclesHuman adipose-derived stem cellsInflammatory painOsteoarthritisPain reliefPI3K/Akt signaling

Identifiers

PMID41689136
PMCPMC13005340

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.