The Journal of Practical Medicine ›› 2026, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (16): 2937-2944.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1006-5725.2026.16.009

• Chronic Disease Control • Previous Articles    

The current status, opportunities and challenges of exosomes in the diagnosis and treatment of osteoarthritis

Xiaofei Zhang, Kang Xu, Xun Sun()   

  1. Department of Joint Surgery,Tianjin Hospital,Tianjin 300211,Tianjin,China
  • Received:2026-05-07 Revised:2026-07-12 Accepted:2026-07-13 Online:2026-08-20 Published:2026-09-20
  • Contact: Xun Sun
  • About author:

    Zhang Xiaofei was responsible for research, design, and writing. Xu Kang was responsible for collecting information and writing. Sun Xun was responsible for revising the article. All authors read and approved the final manuscript as submitted.

Abstract:

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a highly prevalent degenerative joint disease that substantially impairs patients' quality of life. As key mediators of intercellular communication, exosomes have emerged as promising candidates for the diagnosis and therapeutic management of OA owing to their unique biological characteristics. This review summarizes the structural architecture and molecular composition of exosomes, appraises their potential as diagnostic biomarkers for OA, and discusses their translational therapeutic value. We also delineate the current challenges encountered in clinical translation and outline future research directions, with the aim of providing a robust reference for advancing further investigation and clinical translation of exosome-based strategies in the OA research field.

Key words: osteoarthritis, exosomes, diagnosis, treatment

CLC Number: