Investigating the Impact of Extracellular vesicles derived from preconditioned Mesenchymal stem cell on Alzheimer's Disease

The aging of the population has driven attention towards diseases associated with a significant decrease in the quality of patients’ life, but also towards caregivers who bear the heavy burden of supporting individuals affected by severe cognitive impairments. Among these diseases, Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) holds a privileged position, being the leading cause of dementia, while accounting for high dependence and disability in patients. AD arises from a complex interplay of genetic and environmental factors, challenging the development of effective treatments. Advances in scientific research have recently brought the focus on a new way to fight the disease through utilization of extracellular vesicles (EVs) deriving from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). The ease of production, along with the high versatility and safety profile of EVs, make them an excellent candidate in both therapeutic and regenerative medicine. Our study focused on the impact of two kinds of pre-treated EVs in a healthy and in a severe mouse model, the 5xFAD model. Research was performed through behavioral tests, assisted by immunohistochemical analysis to underscore histological changes in brain tissue. Our behavioral results highlighted contrasting, even if encouraging, results in the no carrier mice, while immunohistochemical analysis showed promising amelioration in different brain areas of the heavily impaired 5xFAD mouse model. Overall, this research gave hopeful insights into the EVs potential, even if further research is needed to better understand their full potential and applicability.