Advances in the study of exosomes in ophthalmic applications

Abstract

Exosomes are commonly found in blood, urine, saliva, ascites, amniotic fluid and other body fluids, and are involved in intercellular communication, signal transduction, transport of genetic material, maintenance of internal environmental homeostasis and immune regulation, with a wide range of important biological functions. Exosomes transport proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids to target cells and facilitate intercellular communication.As research continues, they have been found to play important roles in physiological and pathological processes, and are important biomarkers for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. It plays an important role in immunomodulation, inflammatory response, and angiogenesis in many diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and brain diseases. More researches suggest that exosomes also play an important role in the development and progression of ophthalmic diseases. In this review, the research history and biological functions of exosomes, as well as their pathogenesis and prospects for the application in ophthalmic diseases, including corneal diseases, glaucoma, ocular trauma, age-related macular degeneration, uveitis and intraocular tumors, were discussed

Keywords

• exosomes
• biological functions
• ophthalmic diseases
• diagnosis
• treatment