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The Potential of Stem Cells and Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes in Treating Cardiovascular Diseases

Journal of Cardiovascular Translational Research volume 12, pages 51–61 (2019)Cite this article

Abstract

In recent years, the cardiac protective mechanisms of stem cells have become a research focus. Increasing evidence has suggested that stem cells release vesicles, including exosomes and micro-vesicles. The content of these vesicles relies on an extracellular stimulus, and active ingredients are extensively being studied. Previous studies have confirmed that stem cell-derived exosomes have a cardiac protective function similar to that of stem cells, and promote angiogenesis, decrease apoptosis, and respond to stress. Compared to stem cells, exosomes are more stable without aneuploidy and immune rejection, and may be a promising and effective therapy for cardiovascular diseases. In this review, the biological functions and molecular mechanisms of stem cells and stem cell-derived exosomes are discussed.

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Fig. 1

Abbreviations

AMI:

Acute myocardial infarction

ASC:

Adult stem cell

BMC:

Bone marrow stem cell

CPC:

Cardiac progenitor cell

CPC-exo:

CPC-derived exosomes

CSC:

Cardiac stem cell

CVD:

Cardiovascular diseases

DMSO:

2-Methyl sulfoxide

ESC:

Embryonic stem cell

EV:

Extracellular vesicle

HF:

Heart failure

HDL:

High-density lipoprotein

HSC:

Hematopoietic stem cell

iPSC:

Induced pluripotent stem cell

iPS-exo:

Induced pluripotent stem cell-derived exosomes

miRNA:

MicroRNA

mRNA:

Messenger RNA

MSC:

Mesenchymal stem cell

MSC-exo:

MSC-derived exosome

siRNA:

Small interfering RNA

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Funding

This study was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 81570303 and 81370297).

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Author notes

  1. Jing Ni and Yuxi Sun contributed equally to this work.

Affiliations

  1. Department of Cardiology, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital, Shanghai, China

    Jing Ni, Yuxi Sun & Zheng Liu

  2. Pan-Vascular Research Institute, Heart, Lung, and Blood Center, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China

    Jing Ni, Yuxi Sun & Zheng Liu

Authors
  1. Jing Ni
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  2. Yuxi Sun
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  3. Zheng Liu
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zheng Liu.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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This study does not involve human participants or animals.

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Associate Editor Junjie Xiao oversaw the review of this article

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Ni, J., Sun, Y. & Liu, Z. The Potential of Stem Cells and Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes in Treating Cardiovascular Diseases. J. of Cardiovasc. Trans. Res. 12, 51–61 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12265-018-9799-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12265-018-9799-8

Keywords

  • Cardiovascular diseases
  • Exosomes
  • Stem cells