Lecture will be held in English

Hosted by

Vendula Hlaváčková Pospíchalová

About the lecture

Clinical Potential of MSC-EVs and Translational Challenges

Human mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) represent a therapeutically relevant yet highly heterogeneous cell population, known for their potent immunomodulatory and regenerative properties. Increasing evidence indicates that a significant portion of MSCs' therapeutic effects is mediated by extracellular vesicles (EVs).
EVs are nanosized, membrane-enclosed particles released by virtually all cell types, carrying a cell-type-specific cargo of proteins, lipids, and, to some extent, nucleic acids. Beyond serving as a novel class of disease biomarkers, a proportion of EVs act as powerful mediators of intercellular communication, most likely resembling viruses in their ability to functionally modulate diverse biological processes. In particular, MSC-derived EVs (MSC-EVs) have shown the capacity to reprogram immune responses from pro-inflammatory toward regulatory phenotypes, a mechanism believed to facilitate tissue regeneration and support healing.
Owing to their advantages as cell-free products, MSC-EVs have emerged as promising candidates for the treatment of various diseases, including graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), ischemic stroke, COVID-19, and sepsis.
Our current mission focuses on optimizing MSC-EV production in a scalable, GMP-compliant manner and developing a comprehensive quality control platform to support clinical translation. A major challenge inherited from the MSC field is the inconsistent efficacy of MSC-based therapies; not all MSC products demonstrate therapeutic benefit in patients. Similarly, we observe functional variability among independent MSC-EV preparations, even when derived from the same MSC source material.
To address these limitations, we established a lentiviral hTERT-based immortalization strategy to generate MSC lines at the clonal level. EV products manufactured from these clonally expanded immortalized MSCs (ciMSCs) exhibit robust immunomodulatory activity and confer therapeutic effects in vivo. We consider this an essential milestone toward scalable and standardized MSC-EV production for clinical applications. Currently, we are refining upstream and downstream processes to ensure robust and reproducible manufacturing. In particular, we are evaluating defined, serum-free media to support ciMSC expansion while maintaining the functional properties of the secreted EVs.

Registration for lunch with the speaker /for Ph.D. students/

The sponsored lunch usually takes place in the Campus River restaurant. Please meet the speaker and other students at 12:45 at the reception desk at the main entrance (building B22, see the map below).