Exosome-based WTAP siRNA delivery ameliorates myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury

• DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2024.114218
• Publication Date: 2024-02-15T10:39:43Z
• Authors: Tao Yin; Ning Wang; Fang Jia; Yuchao Wu; Lei Gao; Jing Zhang; Rongrong Hou
• Keywords: Thioredoxin-Interacting Protein; Cardioprotection; Exosome

Myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (MI/R) injury is the primary cause of postischemicheartfailure. The increased expression of Thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP) has been implicated in MI/R injury, although the detailed mechanism remains incompletely understood. In the present study, we observed the up-regulation of the m6A mRNA methylation complex component Wilms' tumor 1-associating protein (WTAP) in MI/R mice, which led to the m6A modification of TXNIP mRNA and an increase in mRNA abundance. Knock-down of WTAP resulted in a significant reduction in the m6A level of TXNIP mRNA and down-regulated TXNIP expression. Moreover, exosomes engineered with ischemic myocardium-targeting peptide (IMTP) were able to deliver WTAP siRNA into ischemic myocardial tissues, resulting in a specific gene knockdown and myocardial protection. In summary, our findings demonstrate that the WTAP-TXNIP regulatory axis plays a significant role in postischemicheartfailure, and the use of engineered exosomes targeting the ischemic heart shows promise as a strategy for siRNA therapy to protect the heart from injury.