Exosomes and Exosomal Cargos: A Promising World for Ventricular Remodeling Following Myocardial Infarction

Abstract

Exosomes are a pluripotent group of extracellular nanovesicles secreted by all cells that mediate intercellular communica-tions. The effective information within exosomes is primarily reflected in exosomal cargos, including proteins, lipids, DNAs, and noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), the most intensively studied molecules. Cardiac resident cells (cardiomyocytes, fibroblasts, and endothelial cells) and foreign cells (infiltrated immune cells, cardiac progenitor cells, cardiosphere-derived cells, and mesenchymal stem cells) are involved in the progress of ventricular remodeling (VR) following myocardial infarction (MI) via transferring exosomes into target cells. Here, we summarize the pathological mechanisms of VR following MI, including cardiac myocyte hypertrophy, cardiac fibrosis, inflammation, pyroptosis, apoptosis, autophagy, angiogenesis, and metabolic disorders, and the roles of exosomal cargos in these processes, with a focus on proteins and ncRNAs. Continued research in this field reveals a novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategy for VR.