The
cardiovascular diseases, which have the increasing
incidence and high mortality rate, have brought a great impact on people′s lives and
health.Being
lipid inclusions with 30~150 nm in diameter,
exosomes can be secreted by most
cells in the body, and
proteins,
lipids,
nucleic acids and other substances derived from those
cells are wrapped inside.
Exosomes play a variety of
biological roles in the
communication between
cells, such as
mediating immune response, inflammatory response,
cell migration and differentiation.
Research on
exosomes has made significant progress, and the
roles of
exosomes in
cardiovascular diseases have consequently attracted more and more
attention in recent years.The
communication of
exosomes between
cardiomyocytes and between
heart and peripheral
tissues has provided new
strategies for the
diagnosis and
treatment of
cardiovascular diseases.Application of
exosomes in the
diagnosis and
treatment of
cardiovascular diseases such as
heart failure, viral
myocarditis,
Kawasaki disease and
dilated cardiomyopathy is summarized in this
review.