Topic: EV-Based Rejuvenation Therapy

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have attracted growing interest for rejuvenation therapies, with emerging applications in modulating cellular senescence, restoring tissue homeostasis, and promoting tissue repair and regeneration. Both mammalian cell-derived EVs and plant-derived vesicle preparations are being explored for these purposes. Despite increasing interest, particularly in cosmetic applications in Asia, their clinical translation requires rigorous characterization, reproducible efficacy, and long-term safety assessment, with clear distinctions between cosmetic use and therapeutic claims.

This Special Issue of EVCNA, linked to the EV Asia conference in Kuala Lumpur, seeks to advance the mechanistic and translational foundations of EV therapy for rejuvenation. We welcome studies that explore the relationships between EV composition and biological activity, including the contributions of proteins, lipids, and regulatory RNAs to tissue repair. The issue also aims to encourage research addressing EV-mediated effects from those of co-isolated components and on defining potency through functionally relevant assays. Plant-derived vesicle preparations are also of interest, alongside efforts to clarify their origin, identity, and biological properties. We also encourage advances in EV engineering strategies that address cargo delivery, targeting, and safety while minimizing potential immunogenicity and toxicity.

We invite original research and critical reviews addressing wound repair, cutaneous aging, and tissue rejuvenation; mechanisms of senescence and immune modulation; EV-based cosmetic applications; and mammalian and plant-derived vesicle platforms. Contributions on scalable manufacturing, purification, batch consistency, stability, and delivery technologies, including microneedles and biomaterial formulations, are encouraged. Studies using organoid models, rigorous animal experiments, and well-designed clinical cohorts are welcome to bridge biological mechanisms and meaningful functional outcomes. By bringing together researchers, clinicians, and industry partners across Asia and beyond, this issue aims to support reproducible science and responsible clinical translation of EV-based rejuvenation strategies.