Research Progress of Exosomes in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

特发性肺纤维化是一种慢性、进行性、纤维化性间质性肺炎，组织学和(或)胸部高分辨率CT特征性表现为普通型间质性肺炎，病因不清，好发于中老年男性人群，表现为纤维化重构和肺泡破坏。液体活检作为一种新型无创检测手段，其中外泌体作为一种通过递送特定细胞类型产生的功能性核酸和蛋白质来介导细胞间通讯，凭借其操作简便、患者耐受性高及可动态监测等优势，逐渐在肺纤维化及肿瘤方面的诊疗做出重要贡献。近些年来随着诊疗水平的提升，以及人们就诊意愿的提高，特发性肺纤维化被越来越多地诊断出来。但对于特发性肺纤维化的病因、发生发展、治疗等方面仍是难点，因此提高对肺纤维化的认识以及标准的治疗十分重要。本文就外泌体在肺纤维化病因、发生发展、诊断、治疗等方面的研究进展进行综述。Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a chronic, progressive, fibrotic interstitial pneumonia. The histological and/or high-resolution chest CT characteristic manifestations are common interstitial pneumonia. The cause is unclear. It is more common in middle-aged and elderly men, presenting with fibrotic remodeling and alveolar destruction. Liquid biopsy, as a new type of non-invasive detection method, among which exosomes, as a means of mediating intercellular communication by delivering functional nucleic acids and proteins produced by specific cell types, have gradually made important contributions in the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary fibrosis and tumors due to their advantages such as simple operation, high patient tolerance and dynamic monitoring. In recent years, with the improvement of diagnosis and treatment levels and the increase in people’s willingness to seek medical treatment, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis has been diagnosed more and more. However, the etiology, occurrence and development, and treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis remain difficult points. Therefore, it is very important to enhance the understanding of pulmonary fibrosis and the standard treatment. This article reviews the progress of research on exosomes in the etiology, occurrence and development, diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary fibrosis.