Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) is a lung condition that worsens over time and is brought on by increased lung tissue fibrosis in response to ongoing epithelial injury. IPF treatment options are still limited because existing treatments only slow the spread of the disease. Exosomes and microvesicles are examples of Extracellular Vesicles (EVs), which have recently been identified as paracrine communicators through the component cargo. The community of cell specific microRNAs and proteins found in EVs can control recipient cells gene expression, which will modulate their biological activities. Cell types and their physiological and pathological states of donor cells are reflected in EV payloads. The roles of EVs in the epithelial phenotype and fibro proliferative response in the development of IPF have been highlighted in numerous recent studies. Given their inherent biocompatibility and particular target activity, some native EVs may also be employed as drug delivery vehicles in a cell free treatment approach for IPF. A brand new possible substitute for cell based methods has been put forth: EV based remedies. The benefit is that depending on their source, EVs may be less immunogenic than their parental cells. This is probably because the surface of EVs contains less of the transmembrane proteins that make up the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) proteins. Mesenchymal Stem Cell (MSC) derived EVs have been rapidly developed over the past ten years as therapeutic products ready for clinical trials against a variety of diseases.
