Roles and Clinical Applications of Exosomes in Cardiovascular Disease.

Dong Guo,Jiaying Dong,Yuerong Xu,Jian Ding,Yan Li,Mingming Zhang,Ning Jia

doi:10.1155/2020/5424281

Abstract

Despite substantial improvements in therapeutic strategies, cardiovascular disease (CVD) is still among the leading causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Exosomes, extracellular vesicles with a lipid bilayer membrane of endosomal origin, have been the focus of a large body of research in CVD. Exosomes not only serve as carriers for signal molecules responsible for intercellular and interorgan communication underlying CVD pathophysiology but also are bioactive agents which are partly responsible for the therapeutic effect of stem cell therapy of CVD. We here review recent insights gained into the role of exosomes in apoptosis, hypertrophy, angiogenesis, fibrosis, and inflammation in CVD pathophysiology and progression and the application and mechanisms of exosomes as therapeutic agents for CVD.

Highlights

Cardiovascular disease (CVD), with a global prevalence of 10.6%, imposes a large health and economic burden [1]
Numerous intra- and extracellular factors, biochemical complexes, and vesicles have been found to participate in regulating the pathophysiological progression of CVD, and studies have suggested that exosomes play important roles in it as well
Exosomes released by progenitor cells are bioactive and are the key mediators of stem cell therapy of CVD, which simultaneously overcome some limitations of stem cell therapy [8,9,10]

Summary

Introduction

Cardiovascular disease (CVD), with a global prevalence of 10.6%, imposes a large health and economic burden [1]. Numerous intra- and extracellular factors, biochemical complexes, and vesicles have been found to participate in regulating the pathophysiological progression of CVD, and studies have suggested that exosomes play important roles in it as well. Exosomes are a subgroup of extracellular vesicles surrounded by a lipid bilayer membrane of endosomal origin and ranging in size from 40 to 160 nm (average~100 nm) [2, 3]. Exosomes are important in intercellular and interorgan communication by delivering signal molecules to recipient cells and regulating downstream signal pathways which have been associated with CVD progression [6, 7]. We outline the role and function of exosomes in CVD pathophysiological progression and focus on their use to repair the cardiac injury

Exosomes in Cardiovascular Pathophysiology

Application of Exosomes in Cardiovascular Disease Treatment

Conclusion