Effect of treatment with IFN-β on miRNA expression in extracellular vesicles secreted by mesenchymal stem cells

MSC-EVs have emerged as a promising cell-free therapeutic tool with tremendous potential for treating a variety of diseases. Studies have demonstrated that MSCs exhibit enhanced immune regulatory abilities when stimulated by inflammatory factors. Notably, the presence of IFN-β in MSC culture has been shown to impact the expression of chemokines and their receptors in human MSCs, leading to a significant increase in the secretion of immunomodulatory molecules and their immune modulatory effects. We found that the enhanced immune function of MSCs induced by IFN-β can be presented by their secreted EVs in line with the evidence that the contents of extracellular vesicles were reflective of the physiological or pathological states of the cells from which they derived. These nanoscale vesicles, composed of natural phospholipid bilayer membranes, can encapsulate various biologically active substances, including nucleic acids (RNA, DNA, non-coding RNA), proteins, and lipids. Through these cargoes, EVs can regulate the physiological functions of distal recipient cells, facilitating the exchange of information between cells and tissues. To investigate the effect of IFN-β treatment on miRNA expression in extracellular vesicles secreted by mesenchymal stem cells, EVs were purified by multiple ultracentrifugation steps from the conditioned media obtained from MSCs cultured with or without IFN-β stimulation for a duration of 2 days. We performed gene expression profiling using data obtained from miRNA-seq in two groups of extracellular vesicles.