Progress in the application of exosomes in ophthalmic diseases

ABSTRACT

Exosomes have diverse functions and rich content and are involved in intercellular communication, immune regulation, viral infection, and tissue regeneration. In recent years, the role of exosomes in eye diseases has attracted more and more attention. The exosomes play an important role in the occurrence and development of common eye diseases such as keratopathy, age-related macular disease, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, etc. Currently it is a hot topic that the therapeutic potential of extracellular vesicles derived from different mesenchymal stem cells in eye diseases. This article systematically reviews the research progress of exosomes in the field of ophthalmic diseases, focusing on their mechanisms and potential functions in corneal transplant rejection and injury repair, corneal limbal stem cell defects, autoimmune uveitis, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, and ocular manifestations of Sjogren’s syndrome. In addition, this article further explores the application prospects of exosomes as novel disease biomarkers and targeted drug delivery carriers in ophthalmic diagnosis and treatment, in order to provide reference for clinical translational research of related diseases.