Unlocking the Potential of Extracellular Vesicles in Cardiovascular Disease

Figures

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  FIGURE 1. Origins, contents and roles of extracellular vesicles in cardiovascular diseases. Cardiovascular system‐related cells, including cardiomyocytes, endothelial cells, fibroblasts, platelets, smooth muscle cells, macrophages, red blood cells and white blood cells, can release extracellular vesicles (EVs). Under physiological conditions, EVs play vital roles in preserving normal cardiac structure and function. However, under pathological conditions, their composition changes, contributing to the progression of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). As a result, EVs offer significant potential for monitoring and treating CVD.

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  FIGURE 2. The biogenesis and release of EVs and miRNA sorting mechanism. The figure illustrates the biogenesis, sorting, and extracellular release of miRNAs via apoptotic bodies, microvesicles, and exosomes. The biogenesis of miRNAs begins in the nucleus, where primary miRNAs (pri‐miRNAs) are transcribed by RNA polymerase II and processed into precursor miRNAs (pre‐miRNAs) by Drosha. Pre‐miRNAs are exported to the cytoplasm via Exportin‐5 and further cleaved by Dicer into mature miRNAs. These mature miRNAs are then either retained in the cytoplasm for cellular functions or sorted into extracellular vesicles. miRNAs with CELL motifs or 3′‐adenylation are retained in the cytoplasm, where they bind to AGO proteins to form the RNA‐induced silencing complex (RISC), mediating mRNA degradation or translational repression. Conversely, miRNAs with EXO motifs or 3′‐uridylation are recognised by RNA‐binding proteins (RNPs), such as hnRNPA2B1, YBX1 and SYNCRIP, for selective sorting into exosomes or microvesicles. Group 1 RNPs (e.g. hnRNPA2B1, YBX1, MVP) facilitate miRNA incorporation into exosomes via multivesicular bodies (MVBs), while Group 2 RNPs (e.g., hnRNPU, Alyref, Cav‐1) direct miRNAs into…

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  FIGURE 3. EVs in CVD. EVs originate from cardiovascular or non‐cardiovascular systems construct a complex modulating network for CVDs. The pathophysiological processes of CVDs are mainly influenced by diverse bioactive cargoes of EVs, such as nucleic acids, proteins and metabolites.