Extracellular Vesicles as Biomarkers and Therapeutic Targets in Cancers

Abstract

Extracellular vesicles refer to exosomes, apoptotic bodies, microvesicles and large oncosomes, which are membrane bound structures secreted by cells including cancer cells. The pathological role and translational potential of extracellular vesicles (EVs) in cancers are receiving research attention recently. The cargoes of cancer-derived EVs retain the molecular properties of their sources and cancer cells actively release EVs into body fluids that are easy to access. EVs released from cancer cells not only promote cancer progression through the delivery of cancer-associated molecules but also reflect alterations in the state of cancers during therapy. They are considered promising biomarkers for therapeutic response evaluation, especially resistance to therapy and diagnostics. This chapter discusses the various roles of extracellular vesicles in cancers and their potential as therapeutic targets.

Exosomes from Von Hippel-Lindau-Null Cancer Cells Promote Metastasis in Renal Cell Carcinoma

“…Two possibilities currently being pursued in research are targeting cancer-specific exosomes to impede their communication abilities or using them to deliver therapeutic agents such as chemotherapies for specific and targeted drug release. Targeting cancerspecific exosomes to reduce their metastatic potential aims to eliminate exosomes from circulation, inhibit their secretion, or prevent their internalization into recipient cells [51]. Limitations of exosome inhibition include side effects arising from stopping EV release from healthy cells, and therapies would need development to specifically target tumor cell-derived exosomes.…”

Pathological and Therapeutic Significance of Tumor-Derived Extracellular Vesicles in Cancer Cell Migration and Metastasis

“…Through EV production, transport and uptake, several proteins, lipids and nucleic acids with oncogenic properties can be transferred between cells. Therefore, EVs are considered new and promising sources of both diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers as well as therapeutic targets for a variety of cancer types, including pancreatic, ovarian, prostate, breast, colorectal cancer and glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) [13,14]. Moreover, due to their low immunogenicity, EVs may cross interspecies boundaries and are extremely suitable for the targeted delivery of anti-cancer drugs and the development of therapeutic applications to counteract cancer progression and tumor metastasis [15][16][17][18][19].…”