Fig. 4
From: The role of extracellular vesicles in osteoarthritis treatment via microenvironment regulation
As a new type of natural nanomaterial, EVs secreted by stem cells from various tissues (bone marrow, umbilical cord, synovium, and adipose tissue) regulate the OA microenvironment through various mechanisms to restore the homeostasis of the joint cavity. EVs can be injected directly into the joint cavity in batches or combined with acellular scaffold materials to inhibit inflammatory factor release, and promote the polarization of M1 macrophages to M2 macrophages. Moreover, they also reduce the production of cartilage destruction factors, and promote the synthesis of factors involved in cartilage formation