Extracellular Vesicles in Cardiac Cell Crosstalk: from Intercellular Communication to Clinical Translation.

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Biology
• Cellular Communication
• Biomaterials Science

Background:

• Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major global health burden.
• Intercellular communication is vital for cardiac homeostasis and stress adaptation.
• Extracellular vesicles (EVs) mediate communication by transporting bioactive molecules.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize EV-mediated crosstalk in the heart from various cell sources.
• To explore the translational potential of cardiac EVs as biomarkers and therapeutics.
• To evaluate challenges and propose a roadmap for clinical translation of cardiac EVs.

Main Methods:

• Systems-level synthesis of existing literature on cardiac EVs.
• Integration of evidence from cardiomyocyte- and non-cardiomyocyte-derived EVs.
• Critical evaluation of technical and regulatory barriers for clinical translation.

Main Results:

• EVs from diverse cardiac cells orchestrate signalling networks influencing cardiac remodelling and injury response.
• Cardiac EVs show promise as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers.
• Emerging therapeutic and bioengineering strategies utilizing cardiac EVs are discussed.

Conclusions:

• EV-mediated crosstalk is fundamental to cardiac function and disease progression.
• Cardiac EVs hold significant translational potential for cardiovascular medicine.
• Overcoming technical and regulatory hurdles is crucial for advancing EV-based diagnostics and therapeutics.