Background: Human amnion epithelial cells have potent pro-reparative and pro-resolution properties in treating pulmonary fibrosis. They modulate recruitment and behaviour of neutrophils, macrophages and T cells to subdue inflammation, improve pro-resolution healing and accelerate recovery to mediate repair. Recent evidence suggest that these effects are mediated by microvesicles secreted by stem cells called exosomes. In line with our previous work, we now extend our research to investigate the immunomodulatory role of hAEC-exosomes in mediating repair of injury in a mouse model of bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis.
Methods: Changes to inflammatory cell subpopulations and lung morphology were measured via flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry in bleomycin challenged C57Bl/6 mice administered with i) 10