Advances in regulating endothelial-mesenchymal transformation through exosomes

Area of Science:

• Cell biology
• Biomedical engineering
• Vascular biology

Background:

• Endothelial-mesenchymal transformation (EndoMT) involves endothelial cells changing into mesenchymal cells, impacting morphology, gene expression, and function.
• EndoMT is implicated as a risk factor in cardiovascular diseases, cerebrovascular diseases, tumor metastasis, and fibrosis.
• Exosomes, crucial for intercellular communication, play a significant role in regulating EndoMT.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the role of exosomes in regulating EndoMT across various disease contexts.
• To explore strategies for exosome-based interventions to inhibit EndoMT.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of studies investigating exosome-mediated regulation of EndoMT.
• Analysis of exosome origins (diseased vs. stem/progenitor cells) and their impact on EndoMT.
• Evaluation of exosome modification strategies for therapeutic applications.

Main Results:

• Exosomes from diseased environments can promote EndoMT, increasing endothelial permeability and compromising vascular integrity.
• Exosomes derived from stem cells or progenitor cells demonstrate an inhibitory effect on EndoMT, preserving endothelial function.
• Exosome modification offers potential for targeted delivery and enhanced EndoMT inhibition.

Conclusions:

• Exosomes are key regulators of EndoMT, with disease-associated exosomes promoting the process and stem cell-derived exosomes inhibiting it.
• Targeted modification of exosomes presents a promising therapeutic strategy for controlling EndoMT and mitigating related diseases.
• Further research into exosome-based therapies could lead to novel treatments for vascular pathologies and fibrosis.