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Review
. 2024 Apr 26;103(17):e37994.
doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000037994.

The potential roles of exosomes in pathological cardiomyocyte hypertrophy mechanisms and therapy: A review

Lijun Zhang  1 , Fang Xie, Fengmei Zhang, Beiyao Lu
Affiliations
Review

The potential roles of exosomes in pathological cardiomyocyte hypertrophy mechanisms and therapy: A review

Lijun Zhang et al. Medicine (Baltimore). .

Abstract

Pathological cardiac hypertrophy, characterized by the enlargement of cardiac muscle cells, leads to serious cardiac conditions and stands as a major global health issue. Exosomes, comprising small lipid bilayer vesicles, are produced by various cell types and found in numerous bodily fluids. They play a pivotal role in intercellular communication by transferring bioactive cargos to recipient cells or activating signaling pathways in target cells. Exosomes from cardiomyocytes, endothelial cells, fibroblasts, and stem cells are key in regulating processes like cardiac hypertrophy, cardiomyocyte survival, apoptosis, fibrosis, and angiogenesis within the context of cardiovascular diseases. This review delves into exosomes' roles in pathological cardiac hypertrophy, first elucidating their impact on cell communication and signaling pathways. It then advances to discuss how exosomes affect key hypertrophic processes, including metabolism, fibrosis, oxidative stress, and angiogenesis. The review culminates by evaluating the potential of exosomes as biomarkers and their significance in targeted therapeutic strategies, thus emphasizing their critical role in the pathophysiology and management of cardiac hypertrophy.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to disclose.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
The biogenesis and contents of exosomes.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
The multifaceted roles of exosomes in the development of pathological cardiomyocyte hypertrophy.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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