Traumatic injuries to the central nervous system (CNS), including traumatic brain injury (TBI) and spinal cord injury (SCI), remain a major medical challenge due to oxidative damage and neuroinflammation. Current treatments are largely limited to supportive care and surgery, with few effective drugs available to directly target the underlying neural damage.
Now, a team of scientists from the Institute of Process Engineering (IPE) at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with Shenzhen Second People’s Hospital, has developed a pioneering exosome-based therapy that shows promising results in preclinical models. The study was published in Cell Reports Medicine.
The innovative approach leverages neural stem cell-derived exosomes (NExo), nanosized vesicles naturally secreted by stem cells that facilitate cell-to-cell communication. These exosomes are stable in pathological environments and can support neuronal repair. To tackle oxidative stress—a major contributor to neuronal damage—the team engineered NExo to carry ultrasmall nano-selenium (~3.5 nm), producing a therapeutic agent called SeNExo.
According to Prof. Ma Guanghui from IPE, SeNExo efficiently crosses the blood-brain barrier through the APOE_LRP-1 pathway. Once at the injury site, the nano-selenium component scavenges harmful reactive oxygen species (ROS), while the exosomes promote neuronal survival and repair.
In mouse models, SeNExo significantly reduced cerebral lesions following TBI and improved spatial learning and memory. Proteomic and transcriptomic analyses revealed that SeNExo downregulated genes associated with oxidative stress and neuronal apoptosis, while modulating inflammatory responses and promoting glial cell homeostasis. The therapy also enhanced communication between neurons and glial cells, supporting CNS development and suppressing astrogliosis. In SCI models, SeNExo improved locomotor function, demonstrating potential for broader applications in CNS injury.
Prof. Tan Hui from Shenzhen Children’s Hospital and Li Weiping from Shenzhen Second People’s Hospital highlighted the therapy’s promise, emphasizing its dual action in neuroprotection and inflammation modulation. A peer reviewer noted that the study “provides convincing evidence that SeNExo can protect the brain following TBI and potentially SCI.”
Prof. Wei Wei of IPE added that SeNExo’s biocompatibility, stability, and potent therapeutic effects position it as a strong candidate for clinical development, offering hope for a treatment capable of addressing the unmet needs of CNS injury patients.
