Thermostable Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor Enhances the Production and Activity of Human Wharton's Jelly Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles

Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cell (WJ-MSC)-derived exosomes contain a diverse cargo and exhibit remarkable biological activity, rendering them suitable for regenerative and immune-modulating functions. However, the quantity of secretion is insufficient. A large body of prior work has investigated the use of various growth factors to enhance MSC-derived exosome production. In this study, we evaluated the utilization of thermostable basic fibroblast growth factor (TS-bFGF) with MSC culture and exosome production. MSCs cultured with TS-bFGF displayed superior proliferation, as evidenced by cell cycle analysis, compared with wild-type bFGF (WT-bFGF). Stemness was assessed through mRNA expression level and colony-forming unit (CFU) assays. Furthermore, nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) measurements revealed that MSCs cultured with TS-bFGF produced a greater quantity of exosomes, particularly under three-dimensional culture conditions. These produced exosomes demonstrated substantial anti-inflammatory and wound-healing effects, as confirmed by nitric oxide (NO) assays and scratch assays. Taken together, we demonstrate that utilization of TS-bFGF for WJ-MSC-derived exosome production not only increases exosome yield but also enhances the potential for various applications in inflammation regulation and wound healing.

Automated summary

In this study, we evaluated the utilization of thermostable basic fibroblast growth factor (TS-bFGF) for MSC culture and exosome production. The results showed that MSCs cultured with TS-bFGF had superior proliferation and produced a greater quantity of exosomes. These exosomes displayed anti-inflammatory and wound-healing effects.