Effects of exosomes from different origins on osteoclasts

Abnormal osteoclast function is closely related to the development of osteolytic diseases such as osteoporosis and tumor bone metastasis, which seriously affects patients' quality of life. The cellular microenvironment is complex and variable, and exosomes, as an important pathway mediating intercellular communication, can be secreted by a variety of cells in the human body, which carry "cargo" that can affect the biological function of recipient cells. Osteoclasts receive a variety of cellular exosomes to regulate and influence the body's bone homeostasis. In this narrative review, we summarize and discuss the effects of exosomes from different sources, such as stem cells, tumor cells, osteoblasts, vascular cells, hematopoietic cells and immune cells, on the function of osteoclasts based on a literature search of PubMed and Web of Science up to June 2025. These findings provide a new way of thinking for the targeted treatment of osteolytic diseases, and exosomes are expected to be potential biological agents for the treatment of related diseases, but there are still problems such as low targeting and unknown mechanisms.