TY - JOUR KW - Cardiovascular diseases KW - exosomes KW - heart N2 - Exosomes are nanosized lipid vesicles released from cells. They are capable of transferring proteins, mRNA, and miRNA between cells and, therefore, represent a potential means of intercellular communication. Exosomes can be proangiogenic and may have cardioprotective properties. In contrast, their larger cousins, microvesicles, seem to have generally detrimental effects that are prothrombotic and proinflammatory. Exosomes are released from multivesicular bodies via an exocytic pathway and have the potential for cell-specific targeting. This normal process is hijacked during various pathological conditions, such as cancer, viral infection, and amyloidopathies. We assess the evidence for a role of exosomes and microvesicles in normal cardiovascular physiology, as well as during cardiovascular disease. In addition to offering a potential source of cardiovascular biomarkers, exosomes may offer a nonimmunogenic means of manipulating the heart. ID - discovery1420537 AV - public Y1 - 2014/01/17/ EP - 332 TI - Exosomes: nanoparticles involved in cardioprotection? A1 - Yellon, DM A1 - Davidson, SM JF - Circulation Research UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.113.300636 SN - 0009-7330 IS - 2 N1 - © 2014 American Heart Association VL - 114 SP - 325 ER -