Exosomes in Mesenchymal Stem Cells, a New Therapeutic Strategy for Cardiovascular Diseases?

Abstract

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are still a major cause of people deaths worldwide, and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) transplantation holds great promise due to its capacity to differentiate into cardiovascular cells and secrete protective cytokines, which presents an important mechanism of MSCs therapy for CVDs. Although the capability of MSCs to differentiate into cardiomyocytes (CMCs), endothelial cells (ECs) and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) has been well recognized in massive previous experiments both in vitro and in vivo, low survival rate of transplanted MSCs in recipient hearts suggests that therapeutic effects of MSCs transplantation might be also correlated with other underlying mechanisms. Notably, recent studies uncovered that MSCs were able to secret cholesterol-rich, phospholipid exosomes which were enriched with microRNAs (miRNAs). The released exosomes from MSCs acted on hearts and vessels, and then exerted anti-apoptosis, cardiac regeneration, anti-cardiac remodeling, anti-inflammatory effects, neovascularization and anti-vascular remodeling, which are considered as novel molecular mechanisms of therapeutic potential of MSCs transplantation. Here we summarized recent advances about the role of exosomes in MSCs therapy for CVDs, and discussed exosomes as a novel approach in the treatment of CVDs in the future.

Mesenchymal stromal cells and rheumatic disorders

“…1). The most recent addition to this collection is microRNA [8,9]. A recent review enthusiastically summarised the situation as "microvesicles are released from stem cells and are particularly enriched in certain molecules, including adhesion molecules, membrane trafficking molecules, cytoskeleton molecules, heat-shock proteins, cytoplasmic enzymes, signal transduction proteins and, importantly, functional mRNAs and microRNAs" [10].…”

The current landscape of the mesenchymal stromal cell secretome: A new paradigm for cell-free regeneration

“…This indicated that exosomes may serve as a supplemental entity for ischemia-reperfusion therapy [62] and also for pulmonary hypertension (PH) by directly suppressing the hypoxic signal pathway and downregulation of proliferative miR-17 superfamily by shifting the balance of proliferation to inhibit PH [63]. Taken together, the above studies suggest that MSC-derived exosomes play an essential role in MSC-based therapy of cardiovascular diseases including myocardial infarction, reperfusion injury and PH [64]. Nevertheless, the detailed mechanisms underlying these benefits of exosomes require further investigation.…”

Cardiac stem cell transplantation with 2,3,5,4′-tetrahydroxystilbehe-2-O-β-d-glucoside improves cardiac function in rat myocardial infarction model

“…Myocardial infarction (MI) causes significant mortality and morbidity [1][2][3]. With the inadequacy of existing treatments and the shortage of organs for heart transplantation, stem cell therapy has generated a great deal of interest as a potential treatment.…”