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. 2020 Apr 6;130(5):2164–2176. doi: 10.1172/JCI134439

Figure 2. Preclinical models of cellular and cell-free exosome therapies for chronic pain.

Figure 2

(i) Single systemic or local injection of BMSCs can reverse mechanical allodynia by in vivo immune interactions and activation of monocytes. (ii) Intrathecally injected BMSCs migrate to meninges of injured DRG neurons and spinal cord dorsal horn via a CXCL12/CXCR4 homing mechanism. TGF-β1 secretion by BMSCs confers potent long-term pain relief by activation of the neuronal TGF-β receptor (TGF-βR). (iii) Intrathecal injection of exosomes derived from human umbilical cord mesenchymal cells can serve as cell-free therapy for neuropathic pain. (iv) Transplantation of embryonic cortical GABAergic interneuron precursors from the medial ganglionic eminence (MGE) into the spinal cord leads to the development of inhibitory neurons. Furthermore, these GABAergic neurons integrate into spinal nociceptive circuits, mediating pain relief by release of GABA that acts on host-transplant inhibitory synaptic circuits.