Table 1.

Therapeutic outcomes and key bioactive components identified in EVs derived from CNS cell types in animal models of SCI

Cell Source	EV Parent Cell Micro-Environment	Route of Delivery	EV Dosage	Effects	Highlighted EV-associated cargo	Refs
Primary rodent neural stem cells		Tail-vein injection	200μg (PC)	• ↑ motor function • ↓ lesion volume and neuroinflammation • ↑ autophagy and neuroprotection	14-3-3t family of proteins	[70,74]
Primary rodent neurons		Tail-vein injection	200μg (PC)	• ↑ motor function • ↓ lesion volume •  ↓ activation of proinflammatory microglia and neurotoxic astrocytes	miR-124-3p	[76]
Primary rodent neural stem cells		Tail-vein injection	5 doses of 200μg (PC) each over 12 days post-SCI	• ↑ motor function • ↓ lesion volume • ↑ angiogenesis	VEGF-A	[75]
Primary rodent neural stem cells		Intrathecal	10μg (PC)	• ↑ motor function • ↓ lesion volume • ↑ neuroprotection • ↓ expression of inflammasome proteins in the CNS		[73]
Primary rodent neural stem cells	+ Insulin-like growth factor-1	Tail-vein injection	100μg (PC)	• ↑ motor function • ↓ neuroinflammation • ↑ neuroprotection and axonal connectivity of neural fasciculus	miR-219a-2-3p	[81]

Key: PC – EV dosing determined via analysis of total protein content; ↑ – increased/upregulated; ↓ – decreased/downregulated