Mesenchymal stem cells derived‐exosomes enhanced amniotic membrane extract promotes corneal keratocyte proliferation

Abstract Amniotic membrane extract (AME) and Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stem cells derived‐exosomes (WJ‐MSC‐Exos) are promising therapeutic solutions explored for their potential in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, particularly in skin and corneal wound healing applications. AME is an extract form of human amniotic membrane and known to contain a plethora of cytokines and growth factors, making it a highly attractive option for topical applications. Similarly, WJ‐MSC‐Exos have garnered significant interest for their wound healing properties. Although WJ‐MSC‐Exos and AME have been used separately for wound healing research, their combined synergistic effects have not been studied extensively. In this study, we evaluated the effects of both AME and WJ‐MSC‐Exos, individually and together, on the proliferation of corneal keratocytes as well as their ability to promote in vitro cell migration, wound healing, and their impact on cellular morphology. Our findings indicated that the presence of both exosomes (3 × 10 5 Exo/mL) and AME (50 μg/mL) synergistically enhance the proliferation of corneal keratocytes. Combined use of these solutions (3 × 10 5 Exo/mL + 50 μg/mL) increased cell proliferation compared to only 50 μg/mL AME treatment on day 3 (**** p < 0.0001). This mixture treatment (3 × 10 5 Exo/mL + 50 μg/mL) increased wound closure rate compared to isolated WJ‐MSC‐Exo treatment (3 × 10 5 Exo/mL) (* p < 0.05). Overall, corneal keratocytes treated with AME and WJ‐MSC‐Exo (3 × 10 5 Exo/mL + 50 μg/mL) mixture resulted in enhanced proliferation and wound healing tendency. Utilization of combined use of AME and WJ‐MSC‐Exo can pave the way for a promising foundation for corneal repair research.