Potential Roles of Exosomes in Aging and Age-Related Diseases

Abstract

Objectives: To review exosomes in aging and age-associated diseases. Design: A review study. Participants: Aged animals. Interventions: Exosome treatment. Outcome measures: The occurrence of age-associated diseases, aging skin, cognition, and cardiac dysfunction. Results: Exosomes are secreted by various cell types and comprise proteins, lipids, functional messenger RNAs, cytokines, growth factors, different noncoding RNA, micro-RNAs, and other bioactive substances. These nanoparticles are implicated in several physiological processes, including intercellular communication, cell migration, angiogenesis, and anti-tumor immunity, and have gained major interest in regenerative medicine. Furthermore, several studies have demonstrated the potential roles of exosomes in age-associated diseases such as aging skin, cognition, Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), and osteoarthritis (OA). Conclusions: We summarized various mechanisms of exosomes in the treatment of age-related diseases, including OA, PD, AD, and aged skin. These vesicles can be of efficient medicinal value for aged-associated disease therapy in preclinical trials. Further clinical trials are needed, but the majority of the literature suggests research directions that may provide new treatment approaches and strategies for clinical application.