Radiation therapy for malignant tumor patients often induces radiation enteritis (RE), a condition that impairs their quality of life. Currently, there is no standard treatment regimen available. In this study, we used lyophilized apoptotic vesicles (Lpl-apoVs) from umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells to treat RE in a murine model. We show that enema administration of lyophilized apoVs can ameliorate intestinal damage in RE mice. Mechanistically, Lpl-apoVs were internalized by intestinal endothelial cells (IECs) to alleviate radiation-induced DNA damage. In addition, mitophagy was identified as a prerequisite for therapeutic efficacy, suggesting that rescue of DNA damage and restoration of mitochondrial quality are collaboratively to ameliorate RE diseased phenotypes. These findings indicate that enema administration of Lpl-apoVs is a novel strategy for RE therapy.
Keywords: Apoptotic vesicles; DNA damage repair; Lyophilization; Mitophagy; Radiation enteritis.