The Role of Exosomes in Human Carcinogenesis and Cancer Therapy—Recent Findings from Molecular and Clinical Research

Abstract

Exosomes are biological nanoscale spherical lipid bilayer vesicles, 40–160 nm in diameter, produced by most mammalian cells in both physiological and pathological conditions. Exosomes are formed via the endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT). The primary function of exosomes is mediating cell-to-cell communication. In terms of cancer, exosomes play important roles as mediators of intercellular communication, leading to tumor progression. Moreover, they can serve as biomarkers for cancer detection and progression. Therefore, their utilization in cancer therapies has been suggested, either as drug delivery carriers or as a diagnostic tool. However, exosomes were also reported to be involved in cancer drug resistance via transferring information of drug resistance to sensitive cells. It is important to consider the current knowledge regarding the role of exosomes in cancer, drug resistance, cancer therapies, and their clinical application in cancer therapies.

Clinical Application of Small Extracellular Vesicles in Gynecologic Malignancy Treatments

“…sEVs are natural nanosized vesicles and have immense potential for drug delivery [ 24 ]. miR-497/TP-HENPs are bioinspired hybrid nanoparticles characterized by nano size, good drug encapsulation effectiveness, and protection of nucleic acids, which can stably and continuously release miR-497 and suppress OC chemotherapy resistance both in vivo and in vitro [ 110 ].…”

“… Principles and applications of sEVs in cancer therapy. ( a ) sEV contents induce chemo [ 14 ], radiation [ 16 ], and targeted therapy resistance [ 17 ] by changing the sensitivity of recipient cells through intercellular communication; ( b ) sEVs can regulate angiogenesis [ 17 , 18 ] and vascular permeability [ 19 , 20 ] by influencing the behavior of endothelial cells that line blood vessels; ( c ) sEVs can regulate the evasion [ 21 ] and infiltration [ 22 ] of immune cells by stimulating or suppressing immune responses, that is, they have the ability to act as immunomodulators [ 23 ]; ( d ) direct incubation of sEVs with cargo [ 24 ] or sEVs with surface engineering [ 25 ] can achieve the function of therapeutic cargo packing and targeted therapy (Created with (accessed on 26 February 2023)). …”

Exosomal noncoding RNA: A potential therapy for retinal vascular diseases

“… 47 , 48 , 49 In recent studies, exosomes have received attention because of their potential functions and as next-generation drug delivery vehicles in various diseases. 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 Furthermore, various substances can be carried as cargo by exosomes for delivery to treat human diseases.…”

An exosome-based specific transcriptomic signature for profiling regulation patterns and modifying tumor immune microenvironment infiltration in triple-negative breast cancer

“…Exosomes can include many cellular components, including nucleic acids, lipids, proteins, etc., which can provide rich omics information, such as cell genome, transcriptome, proteome, and metabolome information ( 6 , 7 ). Increasing evidence has indicated that exosomes are closely related to tumor formation, growth and metastasis and the acquisition of drug resistance ( 8 , 9 ). Additionally, the regulatory function of exosomes in tumors is related to nucleic acids and is mediated by the horizontal transfer of proteins ( 10 , 11 ).…”