Review

Department of Endocrinology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050000, China

Department of Endocrinology, The First Central Hospital of Baoding, Baoding, 071000, China

Xiaoning Cai

Department of Endocrinology, Liaocheng Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Liaocheng, 252000, China

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Hong Zhou

*Author for correspondence:

E-mail Address: zhoubs2013@163.com

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3356-9175

Department of Endocrinology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050000, China

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Published Online:1 Nov 2023https://doi.org/10.2217/nnm-2023-0023

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Abstract

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a primary cause for end-stage renal disease, but no specific therapeutic approaches exist. Exosomal miRNAs, a key functional cargo of nanovesicles, play crucial roles in the pathophysiological processes of DKD. Exosomal miRNAs are involved in cell-to-cell transfer of biological information, mediating nephritic inflammation, oxidative stress, apoptosis, autophagy, epithelial–mesenchymal transition and fibrosis. Circulating exosomal miRNAs derived from urine or serum might function as noninvasive prognostic biomarkers for DKD. Exosomal miRNAs from stem cells have been reported to exert beneficial effects on diabetic kidneys, which suggests that these exosomes might function as potential nanotherapy tools for treating DKD. In this review, we have summarized recent studies based on the association between exosomal miRNAs and DKD.

Keywords:

Papers of special note have been highlighted as: • of interest; •• of considerable interest

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Vol. 18, No. 23

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Received 29 January 2023

Accepted 5 September 2023

Published online 1 November 2023

Published in print October 2023

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The authors have no financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

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The authors have no competing interests or relevant affiliations with any organization or entity with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

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Exosomal microRNAs: potential nanotherapeutic targets for diabetic kidney disease

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References