Application of Extracellular Vesicles in Tendon Repair

Abstract

Tendon injuries are often accompanied by damage to the surrounding soft tissue and muscle ligaments, resulting in a loss of muscle strength, flexibility, and other functions in the lower limbs. At present, non-surgical treatment and surgical treatment are mainly used clinically. However, non-surgical treatment may lead to loss of tendon drift and sliding, and ultimately lower ankle movement and function. Surgical treatment may cause risks such as infection and nerve damage. Extracellular vesicles are various types of membrane vesicles secreted by cells, which are rich in a variety of bioactive substances, and are characterized by low immunogenicity, strong tissue penetration and so on. It is a mediator of intercellular communication that plays an important role in tissue regeneration, transmitting information to recipient cells by paracrine effects and affecting various cellular functions. In this review, we summarize the mechanisms of MSC-derived EVs and platelet-derived EVs in tendon repair, providing new directions for the future treatment of tendon repair, and further advancing the study of EVs in sports medicine.