REVIEW article
Front. Pharmacol.
Sec. Cardiovascular and Smooth Muscle Pharmacology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fphar.2025.1667140
Therapeutic Potential of Human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes in Myocardial Infarction: From Molecular Mechanisms to Clinical Translation-An update
Provisionally accepted
- 1School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- 2Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine Key Laboratory of Luzhou, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- 3Department of Cardiology, Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Basic Medicine Research Innovation Center for Cardiometabolic Diseases, Luzhou, China
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Myocardial infarction (MI) remains a leading cause of cardiovascular mortality despite advances in reperfusion strategies, necessitating innovative therapeutic approaches. Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes (HUCMSCs-Exos) have emerged as promising next-generation therapeutics, offering superior advantages including enhanced stability, reduced immunogenicity, and ability to cross biological barriers compared to cellular therapies. These naturally occurring nanovesicles exert comprehensive cardioprotective effects through multifaceted mechanisms encompassing anti-apoptotic signaling, angiogenesis promotion, immunomodulation, anti-fibrotic activity, oxidative stress reduction, and cardiac regeneration enhancement. The therapeutic arsenal includes diverse molecular cargo such as microRNAs (miR-29b, miR-133a-3p, miR-24-3p), long non-coding RNAs, circular RNAs, and bioactive proteins that synergistically target key pathophysiological processes in MI. Advanced engineering approaches, including genetic modification, surface functionalization, and biomaterial integration, have further enhanced therapeutic efficacy through targeted delivery and sustained release systems. While preclinical studies demonstrate significant cardioprotective effects, clinical translation faces challenges in standardization, manufacturing scalability, and regulatory approval. The convergence of innovative engineering strategies, personalized medicine approaches, and emerging technologies positions HUCMSCs-Exos as promising therapeutic approach that could fundamentally alter MI treatment paradigms and improve global cardiovascular health outcomes.
Keywords: Exosomes, Myocardial Infarction, Cardiac regeneration, Tissue Engineering, therapeutic angiogenesis, Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells
Received: 16 Jul 2025; Accepted: 29 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Ding, Zheng and Zhang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Chunxiang Zhang, Department of Cardiology, Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Basic Medicine Research Innovation Center for Cardiometabolic Diseases, Luzhou, China
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.