Exosomal Non-Coding Rnas: Emerging Therapeutic Targets in Atherosclerosis Publisher Pubmed



Alidadi M¹ ; Hjazi A² ; Ahmad I³ ; Mahmoudi R⁴ ; Sarrafha M⁴ ; Reza Hosseinifard S⁵ ; Ebrahimzade M¹
Source: Biochemical Pharmacology Published:2023

Abstract

Atherosclerosis is an LDL-driven and inflammatory disorder of the sub-endothelial space. Available data have proposed that various factors could affect atherosclerosis pathogenesis, including inflammation, oxidation of LDL particles, endothelial dysfunction, foam cell formation, proliferation, and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). In addition, other research indicated that the crosstalk among atherosclerosis-induced cells is a crucial factor in modulating atherosclerosis. Extracellular vesicles are nanoparticles with sizes ranging from 30 to 150 nm, playing an important role in various pathophysiological situations. Exosomes, as a form of extracellular vesicles, could affect the crosstalk between sub-endothelial cells. They can transport bioactive components like proteins, lipids, RNA, and DNA. As an important cargo in exosomes, noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) including microRNAs, long noncoding RNAs, and circular RNAs could modulate cellular functions by regulating the transcription, epigenetic alteration, and translation. The current work aimed to investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms of exosomal ncRNA as well as their potential as a diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target in atherosclerosis. © 2023 Elsevier Inc.