Preclinical Progress of Stem Cells and Exosomes in the Treatment of Necrotizing Enterocolitis

YANG Ke¹, ZHAO Qiang1 , LIN Li¹, WANG Wendi², WANG Jingjing², LIU Jingting², YI Bin²

( ¹Department of Hematology and Oncology, Gansu Maternal and Child Health Hospital/Central Hospital of Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730050, China; ²Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Birth Defects Prevention and Treatment, Gansu Children’s Medical Center, Lanzhou 730050, China)

Abstract:

NEC (necrotizing enterocolitis) is the most common life-threatening gastrointestinal disease in premature infants, characterized by intestinal injury and necrosis. The exact pathogenesis of the disease is unknown, and extensive surgical resection of the diseased intestine is usually required, with poor long-term prognosis and no effective prevention and treatment currently available. The extensive proliferation and differentiation of SCs (stem cells) and the release of cytokines (paracrine action) can be used as an effective treatment strategy for NEC. A growing number of preclinical studies have confirmed the potential therapeutic role of SCs in experimental NEC. However, the mechanisms of action and optimal treatment strategies remain unresolved, limiting their clinical applicability. This paper reviews the mechanism of action and research progress of SCs in the treatment of NEC in recent years, providing ideas for the clinical transformation of SCs in the treatment of NEC in the next step.

CSTR: 32200.14.cjcb.2022.09.0018