STEMIN- and YAP5SA-induced exosomes prevent cardiomyocyte apoptosis

Cardiac regeneration strategies increasingly leverage transient reprogramming to restore function in damaged myocardium. Here, we show that delivery of modRNA encoding STEMIN, a modified serum response factor, together with YAP5SA, a constitutively active YAP1 variant, induces coordinated chromatin remodeling and transcriptional reprogramming in cardiomyocytes. Using ATAC-seq and RNA-seq in rat and human cardiomyocytes, we identify the activation of cell cycle, DNA replication, and survival-associated pathways, alongside a robust induction of microRNAs linked to apoptosis resistance. Exosome profiling reveals selective packaging and release of these miRNAs, which may target key regulators of intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic pathways, including caspases and TP53-associated signaling. Functional assays demonstrate reduced apoptosis in vitro and in vivo. These findings support a model in which reprogramming factor-induced exosomal signaling enhances cardiomyocyte survival by inhibiting apoptosis, and highlight a potential therapeutic framework that integrates modRNA delivery with paracrine mechanisms for cardiac repair.