Regenerative Role of Stem Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles in Acute Kidney Injury

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a frequent complication of hospital admission and worsens short- and long-term patients' prognosis. Currently, AKI treatment remains supportive and no therapy has proven significant benefit in clinical trials. Stem cells (SCs) are a promising therapeutic option, but their translation to the clinical setting is limited by the risk of rejection or aberrant differentiation. Numerous studies have shown how SC effects are mediated by paracrine factors such as extracellular vesicles (EVs). In this review, we describe the preclinical evidence about EV efficacy in acute tubular and glomerular injury and the recently generated clinical data.