The present invention provides, among other things, improved compositions and methods for the treatment of tissue damage (e.g., acute or chronic) and related diseases, disorders or conditions based on the use of pathfinder cells, extracellular secretomes thereof, and/or pathfinder cell-associated microRNAs. In some embodiments, the present invention provides a method for treating tissue damage (e.g., acute or chronic) comprising a step of administering a population of cells to an individual suffering from a disease, disorder or condition characterized by acute damage to one or more tissues, wherein the cells are originated from an adult tissue and wherein the cells induce tissue repair, regeneration, remodeling, reconstitution or differentiation. In some embodiments, the present invention provides a method for treating inflammation comprising a step of administering a population of cells, or extracellular secretomes thereof, to an individual suffering from a disease, disorder or condition characterized by inflammation of one or more tissues, wherein the cells are originated from an adult tissue and wherein the cells induce an anti-inflammatory response.
