Engineered M2 macrophage-derived extracellular vesicles reprogram mitochondrial metabolism to alleviate temporomandibular joint cartilage degeneration.

ABSTRACT: Temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJOA) is a degenerative joint disease characterized by progressive degradation of the cartilage matrix. Current clinical interventions mainly offer symptomatic relief but fail to halt disease progression. The pathogenesis of TMJOA is driven by mitochondrial dysfunction, which promotes both chondrocyte inflammation and extracellular matrix breakdown. To address these issues, an integrated therapeutic system was developed by encapsulating curcumin into M2 macrophage-derived extracellular vesicles (Cur@M2-EVs) through ultrasonic processing. In vitro studies demonstrated that Cur@M2-EVs effectively attenuated inflammatory responses and cartilage matrix degradation by scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS), restoring mitochondrial membrane potential, a

SUBMITTER: Ge W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12775974 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature