Exosomes in skin: Therapeutic potential
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37910/RDP.2025.14.3.e433Keywords:
Exosomes, Skin Diseases, Wound, Capillary, Macrophages, FibroblastsAbstract
Considering the key roles that exosomes play in skin physiology, this paper explores their potential application as therapeutic and cosmetic agents for tissue regeneration, regulation of inflammation, and the deceleration of skin aging. This review aims to present the main sources of exosomes and their use in skin therapies and cosmetics. The primary sources include epidermal progenitor stem cells (EPSC), dermal papilla cell-derived exosomes (DPC-Exos), and mesenchymal stem cells (MSC), particularly from adipose tissue (AD-MSCs). EPSC-derived exosomes have been shown to enhance diabetic wound healing by regulating TGFβ signaling and influencing fibroblast and macrophage behavior. DPC-Exos play a role in hair follicle cycles. MSC-derived exosomes promote re-epithelialization, reduce inflammation, stimulate collagen and elastin secretion, and activate protective pathways like SIRT1/Nrf2. In cosmetics, exosomes are used in topical formulations (creams, serums, masks) for skin hydration, protection, and collagen stimulation. Clinical studies confirm that exosomes help improve skin elasticity, hydration, and texture, while reducing scars and pigmentation disorders. Additionally, exosomes are explored for skin rejuvenation and pigmentation control, thanks to their ability to modulate melanogenesis pathways. Overall, exosomes derived from various stem cell types hold great promise for therapeutic and cosmetic applications, offering innovative solutions for wound healing, anti-aging, pigmentation issues, and hair growth.
Downloads
References
1. Raposo G, Stoorvogel W. Extracellular vesicles: Exosomes, microvesicles, and friends. Journal of Cell Biology [Internet] 2013 [cited 2025 Jun 9]; 200(4):373–383. Available from: www.jcb.org/cgi/doi/10.1083/jcb.201211138JCB373
2. Kalluri R, LeBleu VS. The biology, function, and biomedical applications of exosomes. Science (1979) [Internet] 2020 [cited 2025 Jun 9]; 367(6478). Available from: /doi/pdf/10.1126/science. aau6977
3. Harishkumar M, Radha M, Yuichi N, Muthukalianan GK, Kaoru O, Shiomori K, et al. Designer Exosomes: Smart Nano-Communication Tools for Translational Medicine. Bioengineering 2021, Vol 8, Page 158 [Internet] 2021 [cited 2025 Jun 9]; 8(11): 158. Available from: https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5354/8/11/158/htm
4. Wang P, Theocharidis G, Vlachos IS, Kounas K, Lobao A, Shu B, et al. Exosomes Derived from Epidermal Stem Cells Improve Diabetic Wound Healing. Journal of Investigative Dermatology [Internet] 2022 [cited 2025 Jun 9]; 142(9): 2508-2517.e13. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022202X22001191
5. Gangadaran P, Rajendran RL, Kwack MH, Jeyaraman M, Hong CM, Sung YK, et al. Application of Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles and Engineered Nanovesicles for Hair Growth: From Mechanisms to Therapeutics. Front Cell Dev Biol [Internet] 2022 [cited 2025 Jun 9]; 10:963278. Available from: www.frontiersin.org
6. Kose O, Botsali A, Caliskan E. Role of exosomes in skin diseases. J Cosmet Dermatol [Internet] 2022 [cited 2025 Jun 9]; 21(8): 3219–3225. Available from: /doi/pdf/10.1111/jocd.15152
7. Hu JC, Zheng CX, Sui BD, Liu WJ, Jin Y. Mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes: A novel and potential remedy for cutaneous wound healing and regeneration. World J Stem Cells [Internet] 2022 [cited 2025 Jun 9]; 14(5): 318. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9157601/
8. Wang Y, Shen X, Song S, Chen Y, Wang Y, Liao J, et al. Mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes and skin photoaging: From basic research to practical application. Photodermatol Photoimmunol Photomed [Internet] 2023 [cited 2025 Jun 9]; 39(6):5 56–566. Available from: /doi/pdf/10.1111/phpp.12910
9. Ku YC, Omer Sulaiman H, Anderson SR, Abtahi AR. The Potential Role of Exosomes in Aesthetic Plastic Surgery: A Review of Current Literature. Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open [Internet] 2023 [cited 2025 Jun 9]; 11(6). Available from: https://journals.lww.com/prsgo/fulltext/2023/06000/the_potential_role_of_exosomes_in_aesthetic.15.aspx
10. Xiong M, Zhang Q, Hu W, Zhao C, Lv W, Yi Y, et al. The novel mechanisms and applications of exosomes in dermatology and cutaneous medical aesthetics. Pharmacol Res [Internet] 2021 [cited 2025 Jun 17]; 166: 105490. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1043661821000748
11. Duan M, Zhang Y, Zhang H, Meng Y, Qian M, Zhang G. Epidermal stem cell-derived exosomes promote skin regeneration by downregulating transforming growth factor-β1 in wound healing. Stem Cell Res Ther [Internet] 2020 [cited 2025 Jun 9]; 11(1): 1–11. Available from: https://link.springer.com/articles/10.1186/s13287-020-01971-6
12. Kwon HH, Yang SH, Lee J, Park BC, Park KY, Jung JY, et al. Combination Treatment with Human Adipose Tissue Stem Cell-derived Exosomes and Fractional CO2 Laser for Acne Scars: A 12-week Prospective, Double-blind, Randomized, Split-face Study. Acta Derm Venereol [Internet] 2020 [cited 2025 Jun 9]; 100(18): 5913. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9309822/
13. Zhou BR, Zhang T, Bin Jameel AA, Xu Y, Xu Y, Guo SL, et al. The efficacy of conditioned media of adipose-derived stem cells combined with ablative carbon dioxide fractional resurfacing for atrophic acne scars and skin rejuvenation. Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy [Internet] 2016 [cited 2025 Jun 9]; 18(3): 138–148. Available from: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/14764172.2015.1114638
14. Fisher GJ, Wang B, Cui Y, Shi M, Zhao Y, Quan T, et al. Skin aging from the perspective of dermal fibroblasts: the interplay between the adaptation to the extracellular matrix microenvironment and cell autonomous processes. J Cell Commun Signal [Internet] 2023 [cited 2025 Jun 9]; 17(3): 523–529. Available from: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12079-023-00743-0
15. Hu S, Li Z, Cores J, Huang K, Su T, Dinh PU, et al. Needle-Free Injection of Exosomes Derived from Human Dermal Fibroblast Spheroids Ameliorates Skin Photoaging. ACS Nano [Internet] 2019 [cited 2025 Jun 9]; 13(10): 11273–11282. Available from: /doi/pdf/10.1021/acsnano.9b04384
16. Bae YU, Son Y, Kim CH, Kim KS, Hyun SH, Woo HG, et al. Embryonic Stem Cell–Derived mmu-miR-291a-3p Inhibits Cellular Senescence in Human Dermal Fibroblasts Through the TGF-β Receptor 2 Pathway. The Journals of Gerontology: Series A [Internet] 2019 [cited 2025 Jun 9]; 74(9): 1359–1367. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/gerona/gly208
17. Park GH, Kwon HH, Seok J, Yang SH, Lee J, Park BC, et al. Efficacy of combined treatment with human adipose tissue stem cell-derived exosome-containing solution and microneedling for facial skin aging: A 12-week prospective, randomized, split-face study. J Cosmet Dermatol [Internet] 2023 [cited 2025 Jun 9]; 22(12): 3418–3426. Available from: /doi/pdf/10.1111/jocd.15872
18. Chernoff G. The Utilization of Human Placental Mesenchymal Stem Cell Derived Exosomes in Aging Skin: An Investigational Pilot Study. J Surg. 2021; 06(5): 1–10
19. Cho BS, Lee J, Won Y, Duncan DI, Jin RC, Lee J, et al. Skin Brightening Efficacy of Exosomes Derived from Human Adipose Tissue-Derived Stem/Stromal Cells: A Prospective, Split-Face, Randomized Placebo-Controlled Study. Cosmetics 2020, Vol 7, Page 90 [Internet] 2020 [cited 2025 Jun 9]; 7(4): 90. Available from: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9284/7/4/90/htm
20. Yoo D, Jung SY, Go D, Park JY, You DG, Jung WK, et al. Functionalized extracellular vesicles of mesenchymal stem cells for regenerative medicine. Journal of Nanobiotechnology [Internet] 2025 [cited 2025 Jun 9]; 23(1): 1–20. Available from: https://link.springer.com/articles/10.1186/s12951-025-03300-6
21. Guo Y, Hu Z, Chen J, Zhang J, Fan Z, Qu Q, et al. Feasibility of adipose-derived therapies for hair regeneration: Insights based on signaling interplay and clinical overview. J Am Acad Dermatol [Internet] 2023 [cited 2025 Jun 9]; 89(4): 784–794. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0190962221029510
22. ark BS, Choi HI, Huh G, Kim WS. Effects of exosome from adipose-derived stem cell on hair loss: A retrospective analysis of 39 patients. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2022; 21(5): 2282–4.
23. Davies OG, Williams S, Goldie K. The therapeutic and commercial landscape of stem cell vesicles in regenerative dermatology. Journal of Controlled Release [Internet] 2023 [cited 2025 Jun 9]; 353: 1096–1106. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168365922008392
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Zulay Rivera, Victor Ollarves, Ingrid Rivera, Isabel Hagel, Dennis Alexander Lugo
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Usted es libre de:
- Compartir — copiar y redistribuir el material en cualquier medio o formato
- Adaptar — remezclar, transformar y construir a partir del material
- para cualquier propósito, incluso comercialmente.
Bajo los siguientes términos:
-
Atribución — Usted debe dar crédito de manera adecuada, brindar un enlace a la licencia, e indicar si se han realizado cambios. Puede hacerlo en cualquier forma razonable, pero no de forma tal que sugiera que usted o su uso tienen el apoyo de la licenciante.
- No hay restricciones adicionales — No puede aplicar términos legales ni medidas tecnológicas que restrinjan legalmente a otras a hacer cualquier uso permitido por la licencia.
