Implications of Crosstalk between Exosome-Mediated Ferroptosis and Diseases for Pathogenesis and Treatment

Zixuan Zhou; Benshuai You; Cheng Ji; Leilei Zhang; Feng Wu; Hui Qian

doi:10.3390/cells12020311

Implications of Crosstalk between Exosome-Mediated Ferroptosis and Diseases for Pathogenesis and Treatment

Cells. 2023 Jan 13;12(2):311. doi: 10.3390/cells12020311.

Authors

Zixuan Zhou^{1

2}, Benshuai You^{1

2}, Cheng Ji^{1

2}, Leilei Zhang^{1

2}, Feng Wu^{1

2}, Hui Qian^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Medical Science and Laboratory Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China.
² Zhenjiang Key Laboratory of High Technology Research on Exosomes Foundation and Transformation Application, Zhenjiang 212013, China.

Abstract

Ferroptosis is a type of iron-dependent cell death caused by ferrous iron overload, reactive oxygen species generation through the Fenton reaction, and lipid peroxidation, leading to antioxidative system dysfunction and, ultimately, cell membrane damage. The functional role of ferroptosis in human physiology and pathology is considered a cause or consequence of diseases. Circulating exosomes mediate intercellular communication and organ crosstalk. They not only transport functional proteins and nucleic acids derived from parental cells but also serve as vehicles for the targeted delivery of exogenous cargo. Exosomes regulate ferroptosis by delivering the biological material to the recipient cell, affecting ferroptosis-related proteins, or transporting ferritin-bound iron out of the cell. This review discusses pathogenesis mediated by endogenous exosomes and the therapeutic potential of exogenous exosomes for ferroptosis-related diseases. In addition, this review explores the role of exosome-mediated ferroptosis in ferroptosis-related diseases with an emphasis on strategies for engineering exosomes for ferroptosis therapy.

Keywords: exosomes; ferroptosis; ferroptosis therapy.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Antioxidants / metabolism
Cell Death
Exosomes* / metabolism
Ferroptosis*
Humans
Lipid Peroxidation

Substances

Antioxidants

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81871496 and 82172102), the Advanced Science and Technology Foundation of the Jiangsu Province (BE2021689), Research and Innovation Program for graduate students in Jiangsu Province (KYCX22_3721), and Zhenjiang Key Laboratory of High Technology Research on Exosomes Foundation and Transformation Application (SS2018003). This project was funded by the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institution (Phase III).