# Neural progenitor cell-derived exosomes in ischemia/reperfusion injury in cardiomyoblasts

## TL;DR

This study explores whether exosomes from neural progenitor cells can protect heart cells after injury, finding no harmful or protective effects.

## Contribution

The study investigates unconditioned neural progenitor cell-derived exosomes as a potential post-injury treatment for heart cells.

## Key findings

- Unconditioned neural stem cell-derived exosomes showed no cardiotoxicity to H9c2 cardiomyoblasts.
- Exosomes did not provide cardioprotection following ischemia-reperfusion injury.
- Findings suggest no adverse effects on cardiac cells when using these exosomes for other organs.

## Abstract

The physiologic relationship between the brain and heart is emerging as a novel therapeutic target for clinical intervention for acute myocardial infarction. In the adult human brain, vestigial neuronal progenitor stem cells contribute to neuronal repair and recovery following cerebral ischemic injury, an effect modulated by secreted exosomes. Ischemia conditioned neuronal cell derived supernatant and experimental stroke has been shown to be injurious to the heart. However, whether unconditioned neuronal progenitor cell derived-exosomes can instead protect myocardium represents a profound research gap. We investigated the effects of unconditioned neural stem cell derived exosomes as post-injury treatment for cardiomyoblasts from three neuronal culture conditions; adherent cultures, neurosphere cultures and bioreactor cultures. Small extracellular vesicles were enriched with serial ultracentrifugation, validated via nanoparticle tracking analysis, transmission electron microscopy and Western blot analysis prior to utilization as post-injury treatment for H9c2 cardiomyoblasts following oxygen and glucose deprivation. LDH assay was used to assess viability and Seahorse XF high-resolution respirometry analyzer to investigate post-injury cardiomyocyte bioenergetics. We found no evidence that unconditioned neural stem cell derived exosomes are cardiotoxic nor cardioprotective to H9c2 cardiomyoblasts following ischemia-reperfusion injury. Based on our findings, utilizing unconditioned neural stem cell derived exosomes as post-injury treatment for other organs should not have adverse effects to the damaged cardiac cells.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12868-025-00931-1.