The Roles of Exosomes as Future Therapeutic Agents and Diagnostic Tools for Glioma

Abstract

Glioma is a common type of tumor originating in the brain. Glioma develops in the gluey supporting cells (glial cells) that surround and support nerve cells. Exosomes are extracellular vesicles that contain microRNAs, messenger RNA, and proteins. Exosomes are the most prominent mediators of intercellular communication, regulating, instructing, and re-educating their surrounding milieu targeting different organs. As exosomes’ diameter is in the nano range, the ability to cross the blood–brain barrier, a crucial obstacle in developing therapeutics against brain diseases, including glioma, makes the exosomes a potential candidate for delivering therapeutic agents for targeting malignant glioma. This review communicates the current knowledge of exosomes’ significant roles that make them crucial future therapeutic agents and diagnostic tools for glioma.

Dynamic Intercell Communication between Glioblastoma and Microenvironment through Extracellular Vesicles

“…In the brain the EVs are released by both neurons and different types of glial cells [ 26 ]. Over the period of 48 h approximately 10,000 EVs are released from a single glioma cell [ 34 ]. The EVs are also able to cross the blood–brain barrier in either direction, and are detected peripherally [ 26 ].…”

“…Further on, the miR-148a packed in exosomes has been associated with cell proliferation and metastasis, through targeting CADM1 to activate STAT3 pathway [ 37 ]. For more detailed list of exosome involvement in glioblastoma development and progression please refer to Wu et al [ 34 ].…”

“…Knowledge of EVs in glioblastoma is of particular interest as EVs are involved in different major cancer stages such as initiation and progression [ 34 ], and could be therefore used as biomarkers or even diagnostic biomarkers detectable in peripheral tissues, such as blood or cerebrospinal fluid. For instance, the tumor-specific EGFRvIII has been detected in EVs from serum in 7 (25%) out of 25 glioblastoma patients, adding important diagnostic information as it is associated with specific subtypes of glioma, while on the other hand also representing an additional support in diagnostic decisions [ 36 ].…”

Exosomes in the Field of Neuroscience: A Scientometric Study and Visualization Analysis

“…Exosomes-mediated molecule exchange and signal transduction partly participate in the formation of new neural circuits and promotion of synaptic plasticity, as well as learning and memorizing procedures ( 6 ). In pathological conditions, however, the same molecular mechanism can facilitate the invasion and migration of nerve tumor cells and the spread of neurotoxic aggregates ( 7 , 8 ). This prominent transmission capacity has also suggested that exosomes can be exploited in some clinical applications, including biomarkers and therapeutic carriers ( 9 , 10 ).…”

Exosomal MicroRNAs as Potential Biomarkers of Hepatic Injury and Kidney Disease in Glycogen Storage Disease Type Ia Patients

“…Exosomal microRNAs (Exo-miRs) may represent an important source of disease markers and are being extensively studied because of their mirroring of cellular components. The utilization of blood exosomes as surrogate tissues to diagnose, monitor and predict disease evolution and response to therapy would be a minimally invasive, highly desirable alternative to tissue biopsies [ 8 , 9 , 10 ].…”