Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can be differentiated into cardiac, endothelial, and smooth muscle cells. Therefore, MSC-based therapeutic approaches have the potential to deal with the aftermaths of cardiac diseases. However, transplanted stem cells rarely survive in damaged myocardium, proposing that paracrine factors other than trans-differentiation may involve in heart regeneration. Apart from cytokines/growth factors, MSCs secret small, single-membrane organelles named exosomes. The MSC-secreted exosomes are enriched in lipids, proteins, nucleic acids, and microRNA (miRNA). There has been an increasing amount of data that confirmed that MSC-derived exosomes and their active molecule microRNA (miRNAs) regulate signaling pathways involved in heart repair/regeneration. In this review, we systematically present an overview of MSCs, their cardiac differentiation, and the role of MSC-derived exosomes and exosomal miRNAs in heart regeneration. In addition, biological functions regulated by MSC-derived exosomes and exosomal-derived miRNAs in the process of heart regeneration are reviewed.

Graphical Abstract

中文翻译：

---

间充质干细胞衍生的外泌体及其 MicroRNA 在心脏修复和再生中的作用

间充质干细胞（MSC）可以分化为心肌细胞、内皮细胞和平滑肌细胞。因此，基于间充质干细胞的治疗方法有可能解决心脏病的后遗症。然而，移植的干细胞很少能在受损的心肌中存活，这表明转分化以外的旁分泌因子可能参与心脏再生。除了细胞因子/生长因子外，间充质干细胞还分泌小型单膜细胞器，称为外泌体。MSC 分泌的外泌体富含脂质、蛋白质、核酸和 microRNA (miRNA)。越来越多的数据证实 MSC 衍生的外泌体及其活性分子 microRNA (miRNA) 调节参与心脏修复/再生的信号通路。在这篇综述中，我们系统地概述了 MSC、它们的心脏分化，以及 MSC 衍生的外泌体和外泌体 miRNA 在心脏再生中的作用。此外，还综述了MSC来源的外泌体和外泌体来源的miRNA在心脏再生过程中调节的生物学功能。

图形概要