Metformin enhances the therapeutic effects of extracellular vesicles derived from human periodontal ligament stem cells on periodontitis

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 14; no. 1; pp. 19940 - 13
• Main Authors: Xiang, Mingli, Liu, Yulin, Guo, Qiushuang, Liao, Chengcheng, Xiao, Linlin, Xiang, Meiling, Guan, Xiaoyan, Liu, Jianguo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 27-08-2024; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 631/250/256; 631/443/63; 631/532/2074; Alveolar bone; Alveolar Bone Loss - drug therapy; Alveolar Bone Loss - metabolism; Alveolar bone resorption; Animals; Bone loss; Bone resorption; Cell differentiation; Cell Differentiation - drug effects; Cell migration; Cell Movement - drug effects; Cell proliferation; Cell Proliferation - drug effects; Cells, Cultured; Extracellular Vesicles; Extracellular Vesicles - drug effects; Extracellular Vesicles - metabolism; Gum disease; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Inflammation; Ligaments; Male; Mesenchymal stem cells; Mesenchymal Stem Cells - drug effects; Mesenchymal Stem Cells - metabolism; Metformin; Metformin - pharmacology; Mice; multidisciplinary; Osteogenesis - drug effects; PDLSCs; Periodontal ligament; Periodontal Ligament - cytology; Periodontal Ligament - drug effects; Periodontal Ligament - metabolism; Periodontitis; Periodontitis - drug therapy; Periodontitis - metabolism; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Secretion; Stem cells; Stem Cells - drug effects; Stem Cells - metabolism; Alveolar bone resorption; Metformin; Periodontitis; Extracellular Vesicles; PDLSCs
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-70688-w

Metformin has shown outstanding anti-inflammatory and osteogenic abilities. Mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) reveal promising therapeutic potency by carrying various biomolecules. This study explored the effects of metformin on the therapeutic potential of EVs derived from human periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) for periodontitis. PDLSCs were cultured in osteogenic medium with or without metformin, and the supernatant was then collected separately to extract EVs and metformin-treated EVs (M-EVs). After identifying the characteristics, we evaluated the anti-inflammatory and osteogenic effects of EVs and M-EVs in vivo and in vitro. Osteogenic differentiation of PDLSCs was markedly enhanced after metformin treatment, and the effect was dramatically inhibited by GW4896, an inhibitor of EVs’ secretion. Metformin significantly increased EVs’ yields and improved their effects on cell proliferation, migration, and osteogenic differentiation. Moreover, metformin significantly enhanced the osteogenic ability of EVs on inflammatory PDLSCs. Animal experiments revealed that alveolar bone resorption was dramatically reduced in the EVs and M-EVs groups when compared to the periodontitis group, while the M-EVs group showed the lowest levels of alveolar bone loss. Metformin promoted the osteogenic differentiation of PDLSCs partly through EVs pathway and significantly enhanced the secretion of PDLSCs-EVs with superior pro-osteogenic and anti-inflammatory potential, thus improving EVs’ therapeutic potential on periodontitis.