Exosomes treating osteoarthritis: hope with challenge

Congxiao Wu; Yunfan He; Yao Yao; Han Yang; Feng Lu

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13152

Exosomes treating osteoarthritis: hope with challenge

Heliyon. 2023 Jan 21;9(1):e13152. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13152. eCollection 2023 Jan.

Authors

Congxiao Wu¹, Yunfan He², Yao Yao², Han Yang², Feng Lu²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Plastic Surgery, Shenzhen Qianhai Taikang Hospital, Shenzhen, 518000, Guangdong, China.
² Department of Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, Guangdong, China.

Abstract

Osteoarthritis (OA) has been proven as the second primary cause of pain and disability in the elderly population, impact patients both physically and mentally, as well as imposing a heavy burden on the global healthcare system. Current treatment methods, whether conservative or surgical, that aim at relieving symptoms can not delay or reverse the degenerative process in the structure. Scientists and clinicians are facing a revolution in OA treatment strategies. The emergence of exosomes brings hope for OA treatment based on pathology, which is attributed to its full potential in protecting chondrocytes from excessive death, alleviating inflammation, maintaining cartilage matrix metabolism, and regulating angiogenesis and subchondral bone remodeling. Therefore, we summarized the recent studies of exosomes in OA, aiming to comprehensively understand the functions and mechanisms of exosomes in OA treatment, which may provide direction and theoretical support for formulating therapeutic strategies in the future.

Keywords: Chondrocytes; Exosomes; Extracellular matrix; Mesenchymal stem cells; Osteoarthritis.

Publication types

Review