Exosomes are nanosized cargoes with a lipid bilayer structure that carry a variety of biomolecules, including lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids. These small vesicles are secreted by most types of cells to communicate with each other. Because exosomes circulate in body fluids, they can convey information not only to local cells, but also to distant cells. Thus, exosomes are considered potential biomarkers for various therapies. Recently, studies have shown the effectiveness of exosomes in skin defects such as aging, atopic dermatitis and wounds. Additionally, exosomes are being studied for use as ingredients in commercial skin care products.
Skin is the largest organ of the human body, acting as a protective barrier between the external and internal environment. This sensory organ is also responsible for regulating body temperature and releasing moisture into the environment. The thickness of the skin varies depending on the area of the body, such as under the eyes, on the palms, on the upper back, etc. From an anatomical point of view, human skin has a complex structure consisting of three layers: epidermis, dermis and hypodermis, each of which consists of layers. from different types of cells.
As life progresses, physical changes in the skin are the first observation that indicates aging of the body. Since ancient times, people have sought to improve the quality of their skin through anti-aging treatments. Nowadays, skin plays an important role in social life, increasing self-esteem and self-discipline.Therefore, various anti-aging procedures have been introduced in the cosmetic industry. Skin aging is determined by external (environmental aspects: ultraviolet exposure, air pollution, smoking and nutritional deficiencies) and internal (cellular and hormonal changes) factors, progressive loss of functionality and regenerative potential.
In particular, intrinsic skin aging is a time-dependent and inevitable process.
One of the factors that damages the skin is the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which accelerates the aging process of the skin. As a result, the epidermal layer becomes thinner, which is associated with keratinocyte atrophy. This leads to water loss, increasing dryness and roughness of the skin.
The second factor is the acceleration of telomere wasting, the shortening of telomeres that causes skin aging. Telomeres are protein-DNA structures that protect the ends of chromosomes, preventing the loss of terminal DNA sequences. As telomeres shorten over time, cells age. Cellular aging causes changes in different layers of the skin and worsens skin aging.
Additionally, extracellular matrix components, including collagen and elastin, are reduced due to increased matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) expression, resulting in loss of structural integrity (reduced tensile strength and elasticity). Accordingly, the boundary between the dermis and epidermis decreases, which leads to thinning of the skin. This is why wrinkles form in aging skin.
All these factors gradually change the intracellular environment of the skin, causing changes in skin morphology.
In recent years, the effect of exosomes on various skin defects has been widely studied. The key advantages of exosomes are high stability, non-immune rejection and direct stimulation of target cells. In particular, microRNAs contained in exosomes are involved in the regulation of various cellular responses by binding to the 3′ untranslated region. Thus, one ingredient (exosomes) can contribute to multiple therapeutic effects.
Angiogenic ability
As the skin ages, various changes occur, such as a decrease in type I collagen, disorganization of the capillary network, denaturation of elastic fibers, etc. These degenerative changes can lead to a decrease in the vascular structures in the skin tissue.
Thus, one of the solutions to the problem of skin aging may be to increase the number of blood vessels. Moreover, vascularization plays an important role in wound healing. Various studies have shown the angiogenic properties of exosomes, i.e. the powerful potential to modulate blood vessel formation.
Collagen synthesis
As mentioned earlier, the dermal layer becomes damaged due to the fragmentation of type I collagen and elastic fibers in aging skin. Thus, restoring the structure of the dermis can lead to slower aging and healing of skin wounds.
After treatment with exosomes, deep and wide wrinkles became more superficial and thinner, the production of collagen and elastin increased. Thus, exosomes can be used to restore the dermal layer.
Regulation of inflammation
Exosomes can be used as a therapeutic ingredient to treat skin inflammation. They suppress the expression of inflammatory cytokines, inhibit the local inflammatory response, which promotes immune balance in psoriasis.
Various studies on skin regeneration using exosomes
EXO significantly improved wound closure compared to other groups after 15 days (diabetic wounds, psoriasis, dermatitis, non-healing wounds). This was made possible by increased cell proliferation, faster formation of granulation tissue, re-epithelialization and collagen remodeling at wound sites. Thus, there was a decrease in the amount of scar tissue and improved wound healing.
Exosomes are a new direction in skin treatment but very promising and devoid of any side effects or complications. All patients who underwent therapy received significant improvements.