IBD, or Inflammatory Bowel Disease, traditionally more prevalent in developed nations, is increasingly observed in developing regions like China.

It is a chronic, nonspecific inflammatory gastrointestinal disorder with an unknown etiology, characterized by symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever, and bloody stool. However, treatment options remain limited, focusing primarily on managing complications and promoting inflammatory wound healing to enhance patients' quality of life. With its high recurrence rate, there is a pressing need for effective drug development to address the unmet medical needs associated with IBD.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are pluripotent stem cells capable of modulating immune cells in their microenvironment through the secretion of growth factors, chemokines, and extracellular vesicles (EVs). Numerous reports highlight the therapeutic potential and clinical efficacy of MSC-EVs in various conditions, including osteoarthritis, pulmonary fibrosis, autoimmune diseases, and organ transplantation. Leveraging the advantages of EVs—such as biocompatibility, low immunogenicity, enhanced safety, efficient drug delivery, and long-term storage—MSC-EVs hold promise for therapeutic applications in IBD.

Recent research by VesiCURE Therapeutics, published in BioRxiv, entitled "Mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vehicles attenuate symptoms in dextran sulfate-induced ulcerative colitis mouse model"(DOI: https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.02.01.578325), demonstrates the effectiveness of MSC-EVs in treating iBD in a mouse model of ulcerative colitis induced by dextran sulfate. The study reveals significant alleviation of symptoms, including weight loss, diarrhea, and occult blood in stools. Furthermore, at the cellular level, MSC-EV administration restores mucosal integrity and reduces immune cell infiltration in the submucosa of iBD model mice. As a pioneer in exosome therapy, VesiCURE is dedicated to advancing EV-based drug development to create accessible and efficient therapeutic solutions for patients worldwide.