外泌体是直径为30～200nm的细胞外泌性囊泡，可由多种细胞释放至细胞外空间。研究证实，外泌体中含有蛋白质、mRNA、microRNA(miRNA)等多种功能活性物质。miRNA是一类短链非编码RNA，可在转录后水平调控基因表达，参与细胞的增殖、迁移、分化等生命活动。外泌体源性miRNA可被选择性组装入外泌体，传递至邻近或远处的细胞，并调节受体细胞的功能。研究表明，外泌体源性miRNA与多种眼科疾病病的发生、发展和转归密切相关，有潜力作为新型生物标志物以指示疾病状态。本文就外泌体源性miRNA的基本特征及其在眼部疾病中的研究进展进行系统综述。

Exosomes, which are 30-200nm nano-sized vesicles, can be released by many cell types into the extracellular environment. Various biological active substances have been identified in the exosomal lumen, including proteins, mRNA, and microRNA(miRNA). miRNA is small non-coding RNA involved in post-transcriptional generegulation, participating in many biological activities. They can be selectively packed into exosomes, delivered to neighboring or distant cells, and regulate the functions of recipient cells. Accumulating evidence showed that exosome-derived miRNA play important roles in initiation, progression, and prognosis of diverse ocular diseases. Thus, exosome-derived miRNA are considered as potential biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis. This review summarizes the basic characteristics of exosome-derived miRNA and their research progresses in different ocular diseases.

国家自然科学基金项目(No.82070983)