A tale of exosomes and their implication in cancer

Cancer is a cause of high deaths worldwide and also a huge burden for the health system. Cancer cells have unique properties such as a high rate of proliferation, self-renewal, metastasis, and treatment resistance, therefore, the development of novel diagnoses of cancers is a tedious task. Exosomes are secreted by virtually all cell types and have the ability to carry a multitude of biomolecules crucial for intercellular communication, hence, contributing a crucial part in the onset and spread of cancer. These exosomal components can be utilized in the development of markers for diagnostic and prognostic purposes for various cancers. This review emphasized primarily the following topics: exosomes structure and functions, isolation and characterization strategies of exosomes, the role of exosomal contents in cancer with a focus in particular on noncoding RNA and protein, exosomes, and the cancer microenvironment interactions, cancer stem cells, and tumor diagnosis and prognosis based on exosomes.     

Role of exosomal microRNAs in lung cancer biology and clinical applications

Exosomes, small extracellular vesicles ranging from 30 to 150 nm, are secreted by various cell types, including tumour cells. Recently, microRNAs (miRNAs) were identified to be encapsulated and hence protected from degradation within exosomes. These exosomal miRNAs can be horizontally transferred to target cells, in which they subsequently modulate biological processes. Increasing evidence indicates that exosomal miRNAs play a critical role in modifying the microenvironment of lung cancers, possibly facilitating progression, invasion, angiogenesis, metastasis and drug resistance. In this review, we summarize the novel findings on exosomal miRNA functions during lung cancer initiation and progression. In addition, we highlight their potential role and challenges as biomarkers in lung cancer diagnosis, prognosis and drug resistance and as therapeutic agents.     

The role of exosomes in colorectal cancer disease progression and response to therapy

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer mortality in both men and women worldwide. Survival of patients is significantly associated with disease stage at diagnosis. Recent studies highlighted a role of exosomes in CRC development and progression, thus raising the interest on these nanosized vesicular structures as possible biomarkers. Exosomes contain a large variety of molecules, including proteins, lipids and nucleic acids, that are exchanged between cells either within tumor microenvironment or at distant sites from the primary tumor, where they prepare a suitable soil for tumor metastases. The present review summarizes the principal effects of exosomes on CRC development, progression, and provides an update of the most recent findings on the use of exosomal molecules as diagnostic, prognostic and predictive biomarkers in CRC.     

外泌体环状RNA在肿瘤微环境中的研究进展

外泌体是细胞分泌的30~150 nm的细胞外囊泡,在肿瘤微环境(tumor microenvironment,TME)中介导细胞间通讯.环状RNA(circular RNA,circRNAs)是一类由前体mRNA(precursor mRNA,pre-mRNA)反向剪接生成的非编码RNA(non-coding RNA,ncRNA),在外泌体中富集且表达稳定.本文主要讨论外泌体起源和circRNAs在外泌体中的分选调控机制,阐述外泌体circRNAs在肿瘤微环境各个阶段中的作用与机制,包括血管生成、EMT、耐药等.最后,本文探讨外泌体circRNAs作为肿瘤标志物和治疗靶点的临床应用前景与价值.     

外泌体作为疾病诊断标志物及药物载体的应用前景

作为一种纳米级别的囊泡,外泌体的相关研究近年来逐渐成为热点。外泌体来源于细胞内的多囊泡胞内体,经由细胞膜释放到细胞外。由于来自特定细胞类型的外泌体含有多种特异性的蛋白质和microRNA,使其成为了可以广泛用于疾病诊断及预后的新型生物标志物。相较于其他外源性药物载体,外泌体具有更低的免疫原性,并能够靶向作用于病变细胞。这使得由细胞天然产生或经过人工改造的外泌体作为一种新兴的药物载体具有良好的发展前景。特别是近几年,外泌体在临床应用领域的发展潜力不断获得拓展,针对肿瘤、糖尿病、心脑血管疾病、神经退行性病变等重大疾病,以外泌体为基础的疾病诊断和药物的研发都取得了快速的进步。本篇综述重点介绍了外泌体作为一种生物标志物在疾病诊断和预后中的应用,同时阐述了外泌体作为一种新兴的药物载体所具有的优势以及存在的问题。     

Exosomes: Generation,structure, transport,biological activity,and diagnostic application

Cells of almost all tissues secrete to the extracellular environment a variety of vesicular structures. The most interesting vesicles are exosomes–microvesicles ranging from 30 to 100 nm in size. These vesicles contain various RNA, including mRNA, microRNA, as well as membrane and cytoplasmic proteins that can be transported in these particles to nearby and distantly located cells of various tissues using physiological fluids (blood, urine, saliva, etc.). Exosomes are necessary for normal functioning of the organism and their repertoire changes during the development of pathologies. This review presents the data on generation, secretion, and transport of exosomes, their structure and roles in normal conditions and in the process of the malignant tumor development. Prospects of the application of exosomal biomarkers for the development of early non-invasive cancer diagnosis are also discussed.     

The role of exosomal PD-L1 in tumor immunotherapy

Exosomes are bioactive lipid bilayer vesicles released by most cells to mediate intercellular signal communication. Tumor cells release exosomes transmitting signals cell-to-cell and between cells and organs, which will promote tumor angiogenesis, regulate tumor stromal response, immune response, and enhance tumor cells resistance, while exosomes-derived from immune cells in tumor microenvironment play a key role in inhibiting tumor growth and killing tumor cells. Programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) combined with Programmed cell death protein ligand 1(PD-L1) can inhibit the activation of T cells, for tumor cells achieve immune escape by overexpressing PD-L1 and binding PD-1 on T cells. The use of anti-PD-1 / PD-L1 antibodies prevents their binding to a certain extent and partially restores T cell's activity. This article mainly discusses the role of exosomal PD-L1 in tumor progression and therapeutic efficacy after application of clinical antibodies, as well as the relation between different reactivity and immunity set points in cancer patients of different races, with different types and at different stages. Besides, we propose that exosomal PD-L1 may become targets for anti-PD-1 / PD-L1 antibody therapy, biomarkers for liquid biopsy, and drug carriers.     

外泌体在宫颈癌形成及其诊疗中的作用

宫颈癌作为女性第2大恶性肿瘤,仍然是全球范围内的公共卫生问题。外泌体是活细胞主动分泌的一种具有脂质双分子层结构的纳米级囊泡,能够携带蛋白质、脂质、DNA和RNA (包括mRNA、miRNA、lncRNA和circRNA)等多种具有生物学活性的物质。作为新型的细胞间通讯分子,外泌体不仅参与细胞间正常的信息传递和物质交换等生物学进程,而且在宫颈癌的发生发展过程中发挥重要作用,例如,可通过调节肿瘤微环境来参与HPV感染、促进肿瘤细胞增殖、促进血管形成、参与免疫逃逸以及参与肿瘤的侵袭和转移。外泌体广泛分布于各种生物体液中,可由不同病变程度的宫颈细胞分泌,在阴道灌洗液和血浆中大量富集,且由于其结构的稳定性,因此有望作为一种新型液体活检标志物用于宫颈癌的早期诊断。此外,外泌体具有免疫原性低、稳定性好和穿透性强等特点,可以克服生物利用度低等多种缺点,增强药物的靶向性和药物效应,并且能够降低非靶向的细胞毒性和免疫原性,因此有潜力作为新一代药物或药物载体用于肿瘤的靶向治疗。本文将针对目前国内外关于外泌体在宫颈癌发生发展过程中的作用以及诊断治疗应用领域的最新研究进展加以综述,为临床宫颈癌的诊断和治疗中一种新型的生物标志物的研究提供依据。     

外泌体在淋巴瘤中的研究进展

摘要：病毒感染和环境污染等使得淋巴瘤的发病率逐年升高,早期诊断和精准治疗具有十分重要的临床意义。外泌体是一种脂质双层膜结构的微小囊泡,介导了细胞间交流和信息交换。近几年许多研究证实外泌体是淋巴瘤的发生、进展和耐药的重要机制。外泌体内核酸和小分子可用于淋巴瘤的早期诊断和预测患者预后。材料学修饰可显著增强外泌体治疗的靶向性和治疗效能。本文总结了外泌体生物学特性、分离和鉴定方法、与肿瘤相关性、及其在淋巴瘤中的研究进展,为淋巴瘤的预警和治疗提供参考。     

外泌体源性miRNAs在肺癌发生发展中的作用

外泌体(exosomes)是细胞分泌的纳米级细胞外囊泡.外泌体通过释放其内的生物活性大分子,比如微小RNA(microRNA,miRNA)到受体细胞,从而介导细胞间交流通讯. MiRNAs作为一类主要在转录后水平负向调控靶mRNAs的非编码RNAs,其在外泌体中含量最为丰富.在肺癌中,miRNAs经肿瘤细胞分泌的外泌体转运释放而发挥重要的作用.本文主要讨论了外泌体源性miRNAs在肺癌发生发展的各个阶段,包括血管生成、细胞增殖、侵袭转移、免疫逃逸、耐药等方面的作用,以及其在作为新型肺癌诊断和预后标志物方面的临床价值.     

Detection of exosomal tyrosine receptor kinase B as a potential biomarker in ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer (OC) is a lethal disease diagnosed at advanced stages due to the lack of specific biomarkers. Tyrosine receptor kinase B (TrkB), which has recently been found to be related to OC progression, represents a promising potential biomarker for OC diagnosis and prognosis. The discovery of circulating exosomes as biomarkers for various diseases led us to explore exosomal TrkB in OC. Our previous study proved that the expression of TrkB was elevated in OC tissues. In this study, we focused on the detection of exosomal TrkB in OC. Exosomes were first gathered from three different OC cell lines’ conditioned medium, serum samples of patients with OC as well as xenograft mice serum by serial centrifugation method. Then, we identified exosomes by transmission electron microscopy, NanoSight analysis, and expression of typical exosomal protein markers. The existence of TrkB in exosomes was measured by Western blot analysis, and the expression was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In this study, we demonstrated that exosomes could derive from OC cell lines, serum from OC xenograft nude mice, and clinical patients. Our study shows that serum exosomal TrkB may be considered a minimally invasive biomarker for OC.     

环状RNA翻译蛋白在癌症中的研究进展北大核心CSCD

环状RNA(circular RNA,circRNA)是一种单链环状闭合RNA分子,由线性RNA通过反向剪接形成,具有稳定、高度保守、组织特异性等特点。circRNA能够通过形成竞争性内源性RNA、结合蛋白等多种方式参与机体的生理、病理过程。最近发现,circRNA分子可以通过翻译形成多肽或蛋白参与癌症的发生和发展。circRNA是人类癌症中有前途的诊断和预后标志物,也是癌症治疗的潜在药物靶点。本文重点介绍了circRNAs编码的多肽和蛋白质在多种癌症中的相关研究进展。这些多肽和蛋白质分别依赖内部核糖体进入位点和m6A两种不同的机制进行翻译。我们还总结了circRNA编码的多肽和蛋白质在各种癌症的诊断、治疗、预后和机制研究中的潜在用途。     

外泌体miRNA生物标志物在肝癌中的研究进展*

外泌体广泛存在于多种体液中,携带有大量活性物质,如mRNA、miRNA、蛋白和脂质等。其中的miRNA是一类短非编码RNA,在转录后水平调节基因的表达,广泛参与个体生长发育等各生命活动。外泌体miRNA有多种生物学功能,在肿瘤的发生发展、侵袭转移、机体耐药及免疫调控等多方面发挥着重要作用。目前的研究表明,无论是作为肿瘤早筛早诊和预后评估标志物还是用于肿瘤治疗,外泌体miRNA都有很好的应用前景。本文就近年来外泌体miRNA在肝癌中的研究进展和临床应用进行综述。     

Downregulation of exosome-encapsulated miR-548c-5p is associated with poor prognosis in colorectal cancer

The role of circulating exosomal microRNAs (miRNAs) in colorectal cancer (CRC) has drawn more and more attention during the past few years. Previously, we have identified several specific miRNAs in serum exosomes as potential CRC biomarkers. However, little is known about the association between exosome-encapsulated miR-548c-5p and outcomes of patients with CRC. In the current study, the expression of serum exosomal miR-548c-5p was investigated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Its correlation with CRC prognosis was estimated by Kaplan-Meier survival and log-rank tests. Cox regression analysis based on uni- and multivariate analyses was performed to estimate the relationship of exosome-encapsulated miR-548c-5p with the clinicopathological factors of patients with CRC. Reduced levels of serum exosomal miR-548c-5p were more significant in CRC patients with liver metastasis and at later TNM stage (III/IV tumor stages). Serum exosomal miR-548c-5p could inhibit the proliferation of CRC cells, while the precise molecular mechanisms warranted further elucidation. In addition, decreased levels of serum exosomal miR-548c-5p were independently associated with shorter overall survival in CRC adjusted by age, sex, tumor grade vascular infiltration, TNM stage (III/IV tumor stages) and metastasis (hazard ratio = 3.40, 95% confidence interval 1.02-11.27; P = 0.046). The downregulation of exosomal miR-548c-5p in serum predicts poor prognosis in patients with CRC. Exosomal miR-548c-5p may be a critical biomarker for CRC diagnosis and prognosis.     

外泌体介导的miRNAs对恶性肿瘤调控作用研究的新进展

外泌体是一种直径为30 nm^100 nm的细胞外脂质囊泡,几乎可以被所有类型的细胞释放,包括癌细胞。作为细胞间通讯的重要介质,宿主细胞或癌细胞分泌的外泌体可以介导包括miRNA、mRNA、DNA片段及蛋白质在内的多种物质参与肿瘤的发生、生长、侵袭及转移过程。尤其是miRNA已经被证实是肿瘤衍生的外泌体用于实现自身功能机制的重要组成部分。因此,外泌体miRNA在调节肿瘤发生发展、侵袭转移、肿瘤免疫应答、肿瘤血管生成及肿瘤耐药方面具有显著功能。本文就外泌体介导的miRNA对肿瘤的相关调控作用作一综述。     

Tumor-derived exosomal components: the multifaceted roles and mechanisms in breast cancer metastasis

Breast cancer (BC) is the most frequently invasive malignancy and the leading cause of tumor-related mortality among women worldwide. Cancer metastasis is a complex, multistage process, which eventually causes tumor cells to colonize and grow at the metastatic site. Distant organ metastases are the major obstacles to the management of advanced BC patients. Notably, exosomes are defined as specialized membrane-enclosed extracellular vesicles with specific biomarkers, which are found in a wide variety of body fluids. Recent studies have demonstrated that exosomes are essential mediators in shaping the tumor microenvironment and BC metastasis. The transferred tumor-derived exosomes modify the capability of invasive behavior and organ-specific metastasis in recipient cells. BC exosomal components, mainly including noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), proteins, lipids, are the most investigated components in BC metastasis. In this review, we have emphasized the multifaceted roles and mechanisms of tumor-derived exosomes in BC metastasis based on these important components. The underlying mechanisms mainly include the invasion behavior change, tumor vascularization, the disruption of the vascular barrier, and the colonization of the targeted organ. Understanding the significance of tumor-derived exosomal components in BC metastasis is critical for yielding novel routes of BC intervention.Subject terms: Breast cancer, Cancer microenvironment, Non-coding RNAs     

Tumor-derived exosomal circPSMA1 facilitates the tumorigenesis,metastasis, and migration in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) through miR-637/Akt1/β-catenin (cyclin D1) axis

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are increasingly gaining importance and attention due to their diverse potential functions and their value as diagnostic biomarkers (disease specific). This study aims to explore the novel mechanisms by which exosome-contained circRNAs promote tumor development and metastasis in TNBC. We identified increased circRNA circPSMA1 in TNBC cells, their exosomes, and serum exosomes samples from TNBC patients. The overexpression of circPSMA1 promoted TNBC cell proliferation, migration, and metastasis both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, we investigated the tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TICs) or stromal components in immune microenvironment (IME), and identified the significant differences in the immune cells between TNBC and non-TNBC samples. Mechanistically, circPSMA1 acted as a “miRNAs sponge” to absorb miR-637; miR-637 inhibited TNBC cell migration and metastasis by directly targeted Akt1, which recognized as a key immune-related gene and affected downstream genes β-catenin and cyclin D1. Subsequent co-culture experiments also demonstrated that exosomes from TNBC carrying large amounts of circPSMA1 could transmit migration and proliferation capacity to recipient cells. Kaplan–Meier plots showed that high expression of Akt1 and low expression of mir-637 are highly correlated with poor prognosis in patients with lymph node metastasis of TNBC. Collectively, all these results reveal that circPSMA1 functions as a tumor promoter through the circPSMA1/miR-637/Akt1-β-catenin (cyclin D1) regulatory axis, which can facilitate the tumorigenesis, metastasis, and immunosuppression of TNBC. Our research proposes a fresh perspective on novel potential biomarkers and immune treatment strategies for TNBC.Subject terms: Breast cancer, Cancer microenvironment     

Circular RNAs expression profiles in plasma exosomes from early-stage lung adenocarcinoma and the potential biomarkers

This study aimed to identify differential circular RNA (circRNA) in the plasma exosomes of patients with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) using high-throughput sequencing. First, exosomes were isolated using an exosome isolation kit and confirmed by Western blotting, transmission electron microscopy, and NanoSight Assay. Subsequently, plasma circRNA expression profiles were screened by high-throughput sequencing and confirmed by fluorescence quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Sanger sequencing. Finally, the circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network was performed to forecast the potential function of circRNAs. The result of high-throughput sequencing data documented that 182 differentially expressed exosomal circRNAs in all were screened, which included 105 that were upregulated and 78 that were downregulated in LUAD patients plasma compared with controls. The four upregulated circRNAs including circ_0001492, circ_0001346, circ_0000690, and circ_0001439 were identical to the sequencing data by qRT-PCR, and their latent circRNA-miRNA-mRNA interactions were exhibited. Taken together, our study firstly revealed the altered exosomal circRNA expression from plasma samples in patients with LUAD and supports the need for exploring their potential as biomarkers and the pathological effects of lung cancer.     

Evaluation of exosomal miR-9 and miR-155 targeting PTEN and DUSP14 in highly metastatic breast cancer and their effect on low metastatic cells

Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers in women. Triple-negative breast cancer consists 15% to 20% of breast cancer cases and has a poor prognosis. Cancerous transformation has several causes one of which is dysregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) expression. Exosomes can transfer miRNAs to neighboring and distant cells. Thus, exosomal miRNAs can transfer cancerous phenotype to distant cells. We used gene expression omnibus (GEO) datasets and miRNA target prediction tools to find overexpressed miRNA in breast cancer cells and their target genes, respectively. Exosomes were extracted from MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells and characterized. Overexpression of the miRNAs of MDA-MB-231 cells and their exosomes were analyzed using quantitative Real-time PCR. The target genes expression was also evaluated in the cell lines. Luciferase assay was performed to confirm the miRNAs: mRNAs interactions. Finally, MCF-7 cells were treated with MDA-MB-231 cells’ exosomes. The target genes expression was evaluated in the recipient cells. GSE60714 results indicated that miR-9 and miR-155 were among the overexpressed miRNAs in highly metastatic triple negative breast cancer cells and their exosomes. Bioinformatic studies showed that these two miRNAs target PTEN and DUSP14 tumor suppressor genes. Quantitative Real-time PCR confirmed the overexpression of the miRNAs and downregulation of their targets. Luciferase assay confirmed that the miRNAs target PTEN and DUSP14. Treatment of MCF-7 cells with MDA-MB-231 cells’ exosomes resulted in target genes downregulation in MCF-7 cells. We found that miR-9 and miR-155 were enriched in metastatic breast cancer exosomes. Therefore, exosomal miRNAs can transfer from cancer cells to other cells and can suppress their target genes in the recipient cells.     

Role of exosomes in lung cancer: A comprehensive insight from immunomodulation to theragnostic applications

Exosomes are 30 to 150 nm-diameter lipid bilayer-enclosed extracellular vesicles that enable cell-to-cell communication through secretion and uptake. The exosomal cargoes contain RNA, lipids, proteins, and metabolites which can be delivered to recipient cells in vivo. In a healthy lung, exosomes facilitate interaction between adaptive and innate immunity and help maintain normal lung physiology. However, tumor-derived exosomes in lung cancer (LC) can, on the other hand, restrict immune cell proliferation, cause apoptosis in activated CD8+ T effector cells, reduce natural killer cell activity, obstruct monocyte differentiation, and promote proliferation of myeloid-derived suppressor and regulatory T cells. In addition, exosomes in the tumor microenvironment may also play a critical role in cancer progression and the development of drug resistance. In this review, we aim to comprehensively examine the current updates on the role of exosomes in lung carcinogenesis and their potential application as a diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic tool in lung cancer.