bims-exocan Biomed News
on Exosomes roles in cancer
Issue of 2023–04–30
six papers selected by
Muhammad Rizwan, COMSATS University



  1. Chem Biol Drug Des. 2023 Apr 29.
      MYC amplification and overexpression in breast cancer occur 16% and 22%, respectively, and MYC has a linchpin role in breast carcinogenesis. Emerging evidence has started to shed light on central role of MYC in breast cancer progression. On the contrary, tumor-derived exosomes and their cargo molecules are required for the modulation of the tumor environment and to promote carcinogenesis. Still, how MYC regulates tumor-derived exosomes is still a matter of investigation in the context of breast cancer. Here, we investigated for the first time how MYC affects the biological functions of normal breast cells cocultured with exosomes derived from MYC-expression manipulated breast cancer cells. Accordingly, exosomes were isolated from MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells that MYC expression was manipulated through siRNAs or lentiviral vectors by using exosome isolation reagent. Then, normal breast epithelial MCF-10A cells were treated with breast cancer cell-derived exosomes. The cellular activity of MCF-10A was investigated by cell growth assay, wound healing assay, and transwell assay. Our results suggested that MCF-10A cells treated with exosomes derived from MYC-overexpressing breast cancer cells demonstrated higher proliferation and migration capability compared with nontreated cells. Likewise, MCF-10A cells treated with exosomes derived from MYC-silenced cancer cells did not show high proliferation and invasive capacity. Overall, MYC can drive the functions of exosomes secreted from breast cancer cells. This may allow exploring a new mechanism how tumor cells regulate cancer progression and modulate tumor environment. The present study clears the way for further researches as in vivo studies and multi-omics that clarify exosomal content in an MYC-dependent manner.
    Keywords:  CD63; MYC; breast cancer; exosome; oncogenic function
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1111/cbdd.14245
  2. Cancer Gene Ther. 2023 Apr 27.
      Exosomes, a kind of nano-vesicles released by various cell types, carry a variety of "cargos" including proteins, RNAs, DNAs and lipids. There is substantial evidence that exosomes are involved in intercellular communication by exchanging "cargos" among cells and play important roles in cancer development. Because of the different expressions of "cargos" carried by exosomes in biological fluids under physiological and pathological conditions, exosomes have the potential as a minimally invasive method of liquid biopsy for cancer diagnosis and prognosis. In addition, due to their good biocompatibility, safety, biodistribution and low immunogenicity, exosomes also have potential applications in the development of promising cancer treatment methods. In this review, we summarize the recent progress in the isolation and characterization techniques of exosomes. Moreover, we review the biological functions of exosomes in regulating tumor metastasis, drug resistance and immune regulation during cancer development and outline the applications of exosomes in cancer therapy.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41417-023-00617-y
  3. Clin Chim Acta. 2023 Apr 20. pii: S0009-8981(23)00162-6. [Epub ahead of print]544 117360
      Pancreatic cancer (PC) is highly aggressive having an extremely poor prognosis. The tumor microenvironment (TME) of PC is complex and heterogeneous. Various cellular components in the microenvironment are capable of secreting different active substances that are involved in promoting tumor development. Their release may occur via exosomes, the most abundant extracellular vesicles (EVs), that can carry numerous factors as well as act as a mean of intercellular communication. Emerging evidence suggests that miRNAs are involved in the regulation and control of many pathological and physiological processes. They can also be transported by exosomes from donor cells to recipient cells, thereby regulating the TME. Exosomal miRNAs show promise for use as future targets for PC diagnosis and prognosis, which may reveal new treatment strategies for PC. In this paper, we review the important role of exosomal miRNAs in mediating cellular communication in the TME of PC as well as their potential use in clinical applications.
    Keywords:  Biomarker; Cellular communication; Exosome; Pancreatic cancer; Tumor microenvironment; microRNA
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cca.2023.117360
  4. Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Apr 13. pii: 7208. [Epub ahead of print]24(8):
      Breast cancer (BC) is the first worldwide most frequent cancer in both sexes and the most commonly diagnosed in females. Although BC mortality has been thoroughly declining over the past decades, there are still considerable differences between women diagnosed with early BC and when metastatic BC is diagnosed. BC treatment choice is widely dependent on precise histological and molecular characterization. However, recurrence or distant metastasis still occurs even with the most recent efficient therapies. Thus, a better understanding of the different factors underlying tumor escape is mainly mandatory. Among the leading candidates is the continuous interplay between tumor cells and their microenvironment, where extracellular vesicles play a significant role. Among extracellular vesicles, smaller ones, also called exosomes, can carry biomolecules, such as lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids, and generate signal transmission through an intercellular transfer of their content. This mechanism allows tumor cells to recruit and modify the adjacent and systemic microenvironment to support further invasion and dissemination. By reciprocity, stromal cells can also use exosomes to profoundly modify tumor cell behavior. This review intends to cover the most recent literature on the role of extracellular vesicle production in normal and cancerous breast tissues. Specific attention is paid to the use of extracellular vesicles for early BC diagnosis, follow-up, and prognosis because exosomes are actually under the spotlight of researchers as a high-potential source of liquid biopsies. Extracellular vesicles in BC treatment as new targets for therapy or efficient nanovectors to drive drug delivery are also summarized.
    Keywords:  breast cancer; diagnostic; exosomes; extracellular vesicles; prognosis; targeting; therapy; vector
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24087208
  5. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2023 Apr 04. pii: 540. [Epub ahead of print]16(4):
      Cancer is considered one of the most burdensome diseases affecting lives and, hence, the economy. Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer. Patients with breast cancer are divided into two groups: one group responds to the chemotherapy, and the other group resists the chemotherapy. Unfortunately, the group which resists the chemotherapy is still suffering the pain associated with the severe side effects of the chemotherapy. Therefore, there is a critical need for a method to differentiate between both groups before the administration of the chemotherapy. Exosomes, the recently discovered nano-vesicles, are often used as cancer diagnostic biomarkers as their unique composition allows them to represent their parental cells, which makes them promising indicators for tumor prognosis. Exosomes contain proteins, lipids, and RNA that exist in most body fluids and are expelled by multiple cell types, including cancer cells. Furthermore, exosomal RNA has been significantly used as a promising biomarker for tumor prognosis. Herein, we have developed an electrochemical system that could successfully differentiate between MCF7 and MCF7/ADR depending on the exosomal RNA. The high sensitivity of the proposed electrochemical assay opens the door for further investigation that will address the other type of cancer cells.
    Keywords:  HEPG2; MCF7; MCF7/ADR; SH-SY5Y; adsorption; assay; biomarker; cancer; cancer classification; cancer diagnosis; cancer resistance; cell culture; cyclic voltammetry (CV); differential pulse voltammetry (DPV); exosomal RNA; exosomes; exosomes characterization; exosomes isolation; extracellular vesicles (EVs); gold electrode; normal pulse voltammetry (NPV); peak current shifting; peak current suppression; scanning electron microscope (SEM); screen-printed electrodes (SPE); square wave voltammetry (SWV); transmission electron microscope (TEM); zeta potential; zeta-sizer
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3390/ph16040540
  6. Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Apr 14. pii: 7287. [Epub ahead of print]24(8):
      Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membrane vesicles released into the extracellular milieu by cells of various origins. They contain different biological cargoes, protecting them from degradation by environmental factors. There is an opinion that EVs have a number of advantages over synthetic carriers, creating new opportunities for drug delivery. In this review, we discuss the ability of EVs to function as carriers for therapeutic nucleic acids (tNAs), challenges associated with the use of such carriers in vivo, and various strategies for tNA loading into EVs.
    Keywords:  apoptotic bodies; drug delivery; ectosomes; exosomes; extracellular vesicles; intraluminal vesicles; microvesicles; multivesicular body; nanocarrier; nucleic acid therapeutics
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24087287