Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Microvesicles: Could They be Used for Retinal Regeneration?

Mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) release into the medium in which they are cultured heterogeneous populations of microvesicles (mESMVs), important components of cell-cell communication, that transfer their contents not only to other stem cells but also to cells of other origins. The purpose of these studies was to demonstrate that ESMVs could be the signals that lead the retinal progenitor Muller cells to de-differentiate and re-entry the cell cycle, followed by differentiation along retinal lineages. Indeed, we found that ESMVs induce these processes and change Muller cells’ microenvironment towards a more permissive state for tissue regeneration.