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Theragnostic implications of exosomes in preeclampsia

Hypertension Research volume 45, pages 178–180 (2022)Cite this article

Preeclampsia (PE) can be considered the most feared complication that occurs during the 20th week of pregnancy and includes a combination of hypertension and proteinuria. PE can be classified as early-onset, late-onset, and superimposed preeclampsia. PE causes a risk to the life of both the mother and the fetus, and the mortality rate is quite high; hence, PE should be considered a crucial complication [1]. The rates of stillbirth and maternal death are increasing gradually, as there is no effective biomarker for PE. To date, the only option for PE is early delivery of the fetus, which can result in delivery of a premature baby or, most often, in stillbirth. Even after delivery, the mother can suffer from the effects of PE, and in certain cases, there are chances for cardiovascular diseases [2]. Blood pressure, proteinuria and Doppler studies are available for monitoring PE patients. However, they have limited utility for early diagnosis of the disease [1]. Although novel biomarkers for PE are constantly being researched, the lack of definitive evaluation of the disease in various stages has made the treatment quite complicated. As PE is multifactorial, an accurate biomarker that can serve as an efficient prognostic, diagnostic, and therapeutic target is required.

Recently, many biomarkers, like cytokines, angiogenic factors, circulatory miRNAs, cell-free DNAs, and proteins, have been studied for their potential role in PE. Nevertheless, exosomes are also an emerging biomarker being studied for their vital role in PE [3]. The question of why exosomes are used can be answered by the characteristics of exosomes, which contain miRNAs, cell-free DNAs, mRNAs, proteins, etc. Exosomes are bilipid membrane-bound nanovesicles originating from microvesicles and vary from 40 to 120 nm in diameter. They are released into the extracellular circulation and body fluids by exocytosis in response to certain physiological or pathophysiological conditions. Exosomes contain materials that reflect the disease state of their cell of origin. Hence, exosomes arising from placental oxidative stress contain genetic information derived from the disease state of the placenta [4].

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Acknowledgements

Dr. Durairaj Sekar is a recipient of the Extramural Grants (2019-0106/CMB/ADHOC/BMS and ID: 2020-3326), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Government of India, and their support is duly acknowledged.

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  1. Centre for Cellular and Molecular Research, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical & Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Saveetha University, Chennai, 600077, India

    Sushmaa Chandralekha Selvakumar, Durairaj Sekar & K. Auxzilia Preethi

  2. Department of Biochemistry, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical & Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Saveetha University, Chennai, 600077, India

    Selvaraj Jayaraman

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Correspondence to Durairaj Sekar.

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Selvakumar, S.C., Sekar, D., Preethi, K.A. et al. Theragnostic implications of exosomes in preeclampsia. Hypertens Res 45, 178–180 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41440-021-00772-5

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