Exosomes derived from mir-214-3p overexpressing mesenchymal stem cells promote myocardial repair

tRNA-derived small RNA (tsr007330) regulates myocardial fibrosis after myocardial infarction through NAT10-mediated ac4C acetylation of EGR3 mRNA

Small non-coding ribonucleic acids (sncRNAs) play an important role in cell regulation and are closely related to the pathogenesis of heart diseases. However, the role and molecular mechanism of transfer RNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs) in myocardial fibrosis after myocardial infarction (MI) remain unknown. In this study, we identified and validated sncRNAs (mainly miRNA and tsRNA) associated with myocardial fibrosis after MI through PANDORA sequencing of rat myocardial tissue. As a key enzyme of N4-acetylcytidine (ac4C) acetylation modification, N-acetyltransferase 10 (NAT10) plays an important role in regulating messenger RNA (mRNA) stability and translation efficiency. We found that NAT10 is highly expressed in infarcted myocardial tissue, and the results of acetylated RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (acRIP-seq) analysis suggest that early growth response 3 (EGR3) may be an important molecule in the pathogenesis of NAT10-mediated myocardial fibrosis. Both in vivo and in vitro experiments have shown that inhibition of NAT10 can reduce the expression of EGR3 and alleviate myocardial fibrosis after MI. tsRNA can participate in gene regulation by inhibiting target genes. The expression of tsr007330 was decreased in myocardial infarction tissue. We found that overexpression of tsr007330 in rat myocardial tissue could antagonize NAT10, improve myocardial function in MI and alleviate myocardial fibrosis. In conclusion, tsRNAs (rno-tsr007330) may regulate the occurrence of myocardial fibrosis by regulating NAT10-mediated EGR3 mRNA acetylation. This study provides new insights into the improvement of myocardial fibrosis after MI by targeting tsRNA therapy.

The Application of Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Different Cardiovascular Disorders: Ways of Administration, and the Effectors

The heart is an organ with a low ability to renew and repair itself. MSCs have cell surface markers such as CD45-, CD34-, CD31-, CD4+, CD11a+, CD11b+, CD15+, CD18+, CD25+, CD49d+, CD50+, CD105+, CD73+, CD90+, CD9+, CD10+, CD106+, CD109+, CD127+, CD120a+, CD120b+, CD124+, CD126+, CD140a+, CD140b+, adherent properties and the ability to differentiate into cells such as adipocytes, osteoblasts and chondrocytes. Autogenic, allogeneic, normal, pretreated and genetically modified MSCs and secretomes are used in preclinical and clinical studies. MSCs and their secretomes (the total released molecules) generally have cardioprotective effects. Studies on cardiovascular diseases using MSCs and their secretomes include myocardial infraction/ischemia, fibrosis, hypertrophy, dilated cardiomyopathy and atherosclerosis. Stem cells or their secretomes used for this purpose are administered to the heart via intracoronary (Antegrade intracoronary and retrograde coronary venous injection), intramyocardial (Transendocardial and epicardial injection) and intravenous routes. The protective effects of MSCs and their secretomes on the heart are generally attributed to their differentiation into cardiomyocytes and endothelial cells, their immunomodulatory properties, paracrine effects, increasing blood vessel density, cardiac remodeling, and ejection fraction and decreasing apoptosis, the size of the wound, end-diastolic volume, end-systolic volume, ventricular myo-mass, fibrosis, matrix metalloproteins, and oxidative stress. The present review aims to assist researchers and physicians in selecting the appropriate cell type, secretomes, and technique to increase the chance of success in designing therapeutic strategies against cardiovascular diseases.

The Discovery of Extracellular Vesicles and Their Emergence as a Next-Generation Therapy

From their humble discovery as cellular debris to cementing their natural capacity to transfer functional molecules between cells, the long-winded journey of extracellular vesicles (EVs) now stands at the precipice as a next-generation cell-free therapeutic tool to revolutionize modern-day medicine. This perspective provides a snapshot of the discovery of EVs to their emergence as a vibrant field of biology and the renaissance they usher in the field of biomedical sciences as therapeutic agents for cardiovascular pathologies. Rapid development of bioengineered EVs is providing innovative opportunities to overcome biological challenges of natural EVs such as potency, cargo loading and enhanced secretion, targeting and circulation half-life, localized and sustained delivery strategies, approaches to enhance systemic circulation, uptake and lysosomal escape, and logistical hurdles encompassing scalability, cost, and time. A multidisciplinary collaboration beyond the field of biology now extends to chemistry, physics, biomaterials, and nanotechnology, allowing rapid development of designer therapeutic EVs that are now entering late-stage human clinical trials.

Unveiling the Role of Exosomes in the Pathophysiology of Sepsis: Insights into Organ Dysfunction and Potential Biomarkers

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are tools for intercellular communication, mediating molecular transport processes. Emerging studies have revealed that EVs are significantly involved in immune processes, including sepsis. Sepsis, a dysregulated immune response to infection, triggers systemic inflammation and multi-organ dysfunction, posing a life-threatening condition. Although extensive research has been conducted on animals, the complex inflammatory mechanisms that cause sepsis-induced organ failure in humans are still not fully understood. Recent studies have focused on secreted exosomes, which are small extracellular vesicles from various body cells, and have shed light on their involvement in the pathophysiology of sepsis. During sepsis, exosomes undergo changes in content, concentration, and function, which significantly affect the metabolism of endothelia, cardiovascular functions, and coagulation. Investigating the role of exosome content in the pathogenesis of sepsis shows promise for understanding the molecular basis of human sepsis. This review explores the contributions of activated immune cells and diverse body cells' secreted exosomes to vital organ dysfunction in sepsis, providing insights into potential molecular biomarkers for predicting organ failure in septic shock.

BMSCs-derived Exosome CISH Alleviates Myocardial Infarction by Inactivating the NF-κB Pathway to Stimulate Macrophage M2 Polarization

Current myocardial infarction (MI) treatments are suboptimal, necessitating deeper pathogenesis understanding of MI. This research explored how exosomes (Exo) derived from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) contribute to MI mitigation and their therapeutic potential. Isolated BMSCs was identified by microscope, flow cytometry, alizarin red and oil red O staining. Exo were identified by TEM, NTA and western blot. HE staining, masson staining, and cardiac function parameters were used to assess the cardiac function in MI mice. TUNEL staining, western blot and qRT-PCR were used to detect apoptosis, inflammatory factors and M1/M2 markers. The NF-κB pathway activation was detected through western blot assays. Immunofluorescence, qRT-PCR, western blot, and flow cytometry were employed to evaluate macrophage polarization. MI mice showed cardiac injury, increased apoptosis and inflammation, while BMSCs-Exo treatment alleviated these effects. In MI mice, the macrophage M1 polarization was increased and the NF-κB pathway was activated, whereas BMSCs-Exo treatment reversed these changes. Furthermore, CISH expression was reduced in MI mice, but was elevated with BMSCs-Exo treatment. In vitro, LPS shifted RAW264.7 cells to M1 phenotype and activated the NF-κB pathway, yet BMSCs-Exo shifted them to M2 phenotype and inhibited the NF-κB pathway. Mechanistically, BMSCs-Exo induced macrophage M2 polarization by transmitting CISH to inhibit NF-κB activation. BMSCs-Exo mitigates MI by transmitting CISH to inhibit the NF-κB pathway, promoting macrophages to M2 type. This implies BMSCs-Exo could be a useful treatment for MI, and CISH could be a potential therapy target.

Unraveling the Signaling Dynamics of Small Extracellular Vesicles in Cardiac Diseases

Effective intercellular communication is essential for cellular and tissue balance maintenance and response to challenges. Cellular communication methods involve direct cell contact or the release of biological molecules to cover short and long distances. However, a recent discovery in this communication network is the involvement of extracellular vesicles that host biological contents such as proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids, influencing neighboring cells. These extracellular vesicles are found in body fluids; thus, they are considered as potential disease biomarkers. Cardiovascular diseases are significant contributors to global morbidity and mortality, encompassing conditions such as ischemic heart disease, cardiomyopathies, electrical heart diseases, and heart failure. Recent studies reveal the release of extracellular vesicles by cardiovascular cells, influencing normal cardiac function and structure. However, under pathological conditions, extracellular vesicles composition changes, contributing to the development of cardiovascular diseases. Investigating the loading of molecular cargo in these extracellular vesicles is essential for understanding their role in disease development. This review consolidates the latest insights into the role of extracellular vesicles in diagnosis and prognosis of cardiovascular diseases, exploring the potential applications of extracellular vesicles in personalized therapies, shedding light on the evolving landscape of cardiovascular medicine.

Mechanisms and therapeutic strategies of extracellular vesicles in cardiovascular diseases

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) significantly impacts global society since it is the leading cause of death and disability worldwide, and extracellular vesicle (EV)-based therapies have been extensively investigated. EV delivery is involved in mediating the progression of CVDs and has great potential to be biomarker and therapeutic molecular carrier. Besides, EVs from stem cells and cardiac cells can effectively protect the heart from various pathologic conditions, and then serve as an alternative treatment for CVDs. Moreover, the research of using EVs as delivery carriers of therapeutic molecules, membrane engineering modification of EVs, or combining EVs with biomaterials further improves the application potential of EVs in clinical treatment. However, currently there are only a few articles summarizing the application of EVs in CVDs. This review provides an overview of the role of EVs in the pathogenesis and diagnosis of CVDs. It also focuses on how EVs promote the repair of myocardial injury and therapeutic methods of CVDs. In conclusion, it is of great significance to review the research on the application of EVs in the treatment of CVDs, which lays a foundation for further exploration of the role of EVs, and clarifies the prospect of EVs in the treatment of myocardial injury.

The effects of intracellular and exosomal ncRNAs on cancer progression

Altered gene expression as well as mislocalization of a gene's encoded product (proteins or noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs)) can lead to disease and cancer formation. Multiple studies have indicated that exosomes and their contents act as cell-to-cell communicators and play a key role in cancer progression. Moreover, exosomes contain several functional molecules, including ncRNAs. NcRNAs function as master regulators to coordinate cell growth, cell motility and drug resistance. However, intracellular ncRNAs, which can be transferred to recipient cells via exosomes (exosomal ncRNAs), mediate common/distinct downstream molecules, signaling pathways and functions that are less emphasized concepts in cancer development research. In this study, by using exosomes as a model, we comprehensively discuss the current knowledge regarding (1) the functional role of ncRNAs, both their intracellular and exosomal forms, in cancer progression, (2) the possible mechanism of ncRNA incorporation into exosomes and (3) the therapeutic applications and limitations of exosomes based on current knowledge.