Exosome

Unless you are studying biology, medicine or anatomy, you have probably never heard the term exosome. In fact, they were only discovered in 1983 in immature red blood cells. Although the scientific world was impressed by the discovery, there was initially no great interest in further research. It was only at the beginning of the new millennium that researchers realised the potential of exosomes, and more and more publications were published on the subject. To date, their relevance in the medical, pharmaceutical and cosmetic fields continues to grow.

What exactly are exosomes?

Exosomes are tiny extracellular vesicles. They range in size from 30 to 90 nanometres. They are found in human and mammalian cells, including platelets, lymph cells, tumour cells, nerve cells, mast cells and dendritic cells. The cells release the exosomes into their environment. For a better understanding: vesicles are in turn delimited, round to oval bubbles. These are surrounded by a lipid bilayer and contain, for example, proteins, lipids and nucleic acids, DNA fragments or mRNA. The content depends not only on the cell type, but also on the current cell status. This means that different types of molecules are transported depending on the health of the cell.

For a long time, scientists suspected that exosomes function like a kind of garbage disposal and merely have the task of transporting superfluous material out of a cell. However, it is now clear that they serve as important communication channels in the organism. They are released so that cells can communicate with tissue and other cells, and serve as a kind of transport for molecules. In this way, cells control processes such as intercellular signalling or coagulation. The transfer of epigenetic information is also one of the tasks of exosomes. They have been found in sperm, for example, where they carry RNA molecules.

Communication between a cell and other cells or tissue can be beneficial or detrimental to the organism. On the one hand, exosomes are able to stimulate the body’s own regeneration processes in acute phases of disease or after injury. For example, scientists have found that certain exosomes activate processes that boost wound healing or the healing of broken bones. They are also involved in anti-inflammatory processes. Conversely, exosomes can also contain disease-associated molecules or neurodegenerative peptides. HI viruses, for example, like to use them for camouflage and transport. Cancer cells also release exosomes.

Exosomes as promising medical agents

In recent years, many studies have been conducted on exosomes. For example, at the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg, scientists developed targeted exosomes in the test tube. They wanted to know what role they play in wound healing. In order for injured tissue to regenerate, precise signalling from cell to cell is necessary.

For the experiments, the researchers used cultured human donor skin. The results were remarkable. The healing process of wounds in this donor skin was many times faster after treatment with artificial exosomes! They observed a similar effect in the formation of new blood vessels. This process is important, for example, for tissue regeneration after surgery. With the help of a new technology, exosomes can now be produced in larger quantities for therapeutic applications.

In addition, the researchers believe that it will soon be possible to develop customisable exosomes for various medical indications, such as immune or neurodegenerative diseases, or even for malignancies. Meanwhile, a therapy with exosomes is even seen as the future of regenerative medicine, because the findings are groundbreaking for science. Exosomes obtained from stem cells are considered to be particularly promising. They are able to stimulate tissue repair, regulate immune responses and modulate cellular processes. In addition, they are easier and better to isolate, purify and store than intact cells. The risk of immune rejection is also considered to be lower because exosomes do not have the surface markers that normally trigger such reactions.

What effect do exosomes have in cosmetics?

The cosmetics industry has also taken notice of exosomes, and there are already corresponding developments and innovations. For example, a preparation made from human fat stem cells in combination with Dermapen 4, an advanced microneedling device, is said to be able to solve a wide range of skin problems. The main focus is on dull and uneven skin types, dry skin types, sagging skin that has lost elasticity, skin with enlarged pores, as well as problems such as acne and atopy. It is said that the treatment can promote the regeneration of skin cells.

Scientists explain the way it works as follows: a growth factor is secreted by the microneedling with the preparation. This activates, for example, the function of fibroblasts, which in turn produce more hyaluronic acid, elastin and collagen. This restores firmness and elasticity to the skin. Even wrinkles can be reduced in this way. Overall, the treatment can significantly improve the texture of the skin. Compared to a preparation that is applied to the skin, the effect of microneedling seems to be stronger because the active ingredients are introduced deep into the skin, where they can optimally develop their positive properties.

However, this does not mean that exosome-based cosmetic products are ineffective for conventional external application. In this area, too, there is already a wide range of high-quality and innovative products such as serums, creams and masks, but also preparations for intimate and scalp care (source: ).

Besides growth factors, cosmetic products can also contain active agents such as amino acids, peptides, vitamins, coenzymes, hyaluronic acid and minerals.

Exosomes as ingredients: examples

As already mentioned, there are already a number of active agents on the market that make use of the advantages of exosomes. The INCI designations of some examples are listed below:

• Thymus Quinquecostatus Callus Extracellular Vesicles
• Lactobacillus Extracellular Vesicles
• Rosa Damascena Callus Extracellular Vesicles
• Centella Asiatica Callus Extracellular Vesicles
• Chicken Embryonic Mesenchymal Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles

The development of exome-based products continues relentlessly, and we can assume that the potential of exosomes is far from exhausted.

Exosomes: a breakthrough in the medical and cosmetic world

Research into exosomes and the development of cutting-edge products is not only a major breakthrough for regenerative medicine. In the field of cosmetics, too, innovative active ingredients will herald a whole new era, taking skin regeneration to a level never before achieved. Find out more about the topic and the possibilities offered by ‘active ingredient transporters’ at Cosmacon!