Fig. 1.

Differential effects of stem cell-derived EVs. The effects of EVs not only depend on their content but also on which pathways are activated in the recipient cells. In particular, the miRNA contents of EVs have different effects depending on the state of activation of their targets. The same EVs released from stem cells may stimulate activation of regenerative programs in injured cells leading to their dedifferentiation, cell cycle re-entry with proliferation, and promoting cell survival. Conversely, the same EVs may reprogram cancer cells by delivering tumor suppressive miRNAs which inhibit tumor cell growth and promote apoptosis