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Updated: Sep 7, 2025
Author Spotlight: Advancing the Analysis of Plasma Extracellular Vesicle Proteome for Cardiovascular Biomarker Studies
Published on: January 31, 2025
Extracellular Vesicles in Cardiovascular Diseases: Diagnosis and Therapy
Xiaojing Zhang1, Yuping Wu2, Qifa Cheng1
1Department of Pharmacy, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Qingyuan People's Hospital, Qingyuan, China.
Insights
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) show promise for diagnosing and treating cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). This review explores their properties, functions, and therapeutic potential for CVD clinical applications.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Cardiology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain a leading global cause of mortality, presenting significant therapeutic challenges.
- Extracellular vesicles (EVs), secreted by various cell types including stem cells, are increasingly recognized for their roles in CVD pathophysiology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the biophysical properties and biological components of EVs.
- To summarize the functions of EVs in cardiovascular diseases.
- To highlight recent advances in EVs for diagnosis, prognosis, therapy, and drug delivery in CVDs.
Main Methods:
- Literature review focusing on extracellular vesicles (EVs) and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs).
- Analysis of current research on EV biophysical properties, biological components, and functions.
- Synthesis of findings on EV applications in CVD diagnosis, prognosis, therapy, and drug delivery.
Main Results:
- EVs possess diverse biophysical properties and biological components relevant to CVDs.
- EVs play crucial roles in the pathophysiological processes of cardiovascular diseases.
- Emerging research demonstrates the potential of EVs as diagnostic biomarkers, therapeutic agents, and drug delivery systems for CVDs.
Conclusions:
- Extracellular vesicles (EVs) represent a promising avenue for the clinical transformation of cardiovascular disease (CVD) management.
- Further research into EV properties and functions is essential for optimizing their application in CVD diagnosis, therapy, and drug delivery.
- The clinical and industrial transformation of EVs holds significant potential for advancing CVD treatment strategies.
Abstract:
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of global mortality. Therapy of CVDs is still a great challenge since many advanced therapies have been developed. Multiple cell types produce nano-sized extracellular vesicles (EVs), including cardiovascular system-related cells and stem cells. Compelling evidence reveals that EVs are associated with the pathophysiological processes of CVDs. Recently researches focus on the clinical transformation in EVs-based diagnosis, prognosis, therapies, and drug delivery systems. In this review, we firstly discuss the current knowledge about the biophysical properties and biological components of EVs. Secondly, we will focus on the functions of EVs on CVDs, and outline the latest advances of EVs as prognostic and diagnostic biomarkers, and therapeutic agents. Finally, we will introduce the specific application of EVs as a novel drug delivery system and its application in CVDs therapy. Specific attention will be paid to summarize the perspectives, challenges, and applications on EVs' clinical and industrial transformation.
