bims-exocan 2026-01-04 papers

Issue of 2026–01–04
five papers selected by
Muhammad Rizwan, COMSATS University

Genes (Basel). 2025 Dec 01. pii: 1437. [Epub ahead of print]16(12):

Molecular Cargo of Exosomes in Prostate Cancer: A Multi-Omics Perspective on Liquid Biopsies.

Roxana Andra Coman, Andreea Nutu, Stefan Strilciuc, Liviuta Budisan, Ioana Berindan-Neagoe.

Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers affecting men, and finding better ways to detect and monitor it remains a top priority in oncology. In recent years, scientists have focused their attention on different classes of extracellular bodies, among them the small ones called exosomes. Exosomes are nanoscale extracellular vesicles (30-200 nm) released into body fluids, where they transport molecular cargo reflective of their cell of origin. Instead of serving as liquid biopsies themselves, exosomes present in accessible fluids such as plasma and urine can be analyzed as part of minimally invasive liquid biopsy strategies without the need for surgery or tissue sampling. In prostate cancer, exosomes are not just passive carriers: they actively influence how cancer grows, spreads, and responds to treatment. Exosomes can be extracted from simple fluid samples, opening the door to faster, safer, and more personalised approaches to diagnosis and care. Exosome content is analysed for the molecular profiling of tumours, including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics. This has led to the discovery of new biomarkers that may help detect prostate cancer earlier, predict its aggressiveness, and monitor the effectiveness of treatment. This review synthesizes current multi-omics data on exosomal cargo in prostate cancer, highlighting diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic implications as well as existing challenges to clinical translation.

Keywords: exosomes; genomic cargo; liquid biopsy; miRNAs; prostate cancer

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/genes16121437

Discov Oncol. 2026 Jan 03.

Pro-tumorigenic effects and therapeutic implications of mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes under hypoxic conditions: a systematic review.

Narjes Seddighi, Mehdi Talebi, Karim Shamsasenjan, Mortaza Raeisi, AliAkbar Movassaghpour.

BACKGROUND: Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-derived exosomes revealed therapeutic ability, particularly in cancer treatment, by transferring bioactive molecules like miRNAs. Hypoxia, a common tumor condition, influences both tumor progression and MSC behavior. This review explores how hypoxic conditions affect MSC-derived exosomes and their impact on cancer-related pathways and genes.
METHOD: The current systematic review study was conducted by searching four different databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science, using keywords such as mesenchymal stem cells, exosomes, hypoxia, cancer, and related terms. All original pre-clinical studies that focused on the role and effect of hypoxia in MSC-derived extracellular vesicles in different cancers were included. Data were collected qualitatively.
RESULT: Overall, 264 articles were identified from searching in databases, and eight of them met the eligibility criteria and were included in the current study. Among the articles, four focused on lung cancer, two on breast cancer, one on hepatocellular carcinoma, and one on Multiple Myeloma. The results indicated that MSC-derived exosomes have an enhanced effect on cell viability, migration, proliferation, and invasion of cancerous cells both in vitro and in vivo settings, and also cause a reduction in apoptosis in these cells. Besides, hypo MSC-exosomes can change the expression of some miRNAs in cancer cells, which affect different signaling pathways.
CONCLUSION: In general, the current study suggests that hypoxia-preconditioning of MSC-derived exosomes can influence specific genes, miRNAs, and signaling pathways in cancer cells, leading to increased proliferation, migration, and invasion, as well as decreased apoptosis. Besides, the biological effects of hypoxia-modulated exosomes seem to be significantly context-dependent. Although they may exacerbate malignancy in cancer microenvironments, analogous pathways can also facilitate tissue repair and regeneration in non-cancerous situations.

Keywords: Cancer; Exosomes; Extracellular vesicles; Hypoxia; MSC; Malignancy; Mesenchymal stem cells; Neoplasms

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12672-025-04279-0

Pathol Res Pract. 2025 Dec 24. pii: S0344-0338(25)00532-1. [Epub ahead of print]278 156339

Extracellular vesicles in tumor microenvironment modulation and clinical diagnosis.

Huan Liu, Dong Niu, Tong-Yao Yu, Yu-Hua Wang, Kun-Lin Ran, Yan-Hua Liu, Da-Chuan Yin, Chen-Yan Zhang.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are key drivers of tumor metastasis and colonization. Their cargo, consisting of proteins, nucleic acids, and other biomolecules, functions as molecular messengers that trigger the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process in tumor cells and facilitate immune evasion by releasing immunosuppressive factors to promote immune escape. Additionally, EVs influence intercellular interactions within the tumor microenvironment, facilitating angiogenesis, increasing vascular permeability, and supplying nutrients and oxygen to support tumor growth and metastasis. During metastasis, EVs protect circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from shear forces in the vascular network and attacks from the immune system. Furthermore, tumor-derived EVs facilitate the establishment of pre-metastatic niches (PMNs), thereby facilitating organ-specific metastasis. In this review, we overview the biogenesis and functions of EVs, as well as various factors that regulate their secretion. We systematically review tumor-derived EV functions in tumor progression, and also the effects of their interactions with other cells (such as adipocytes, immune cells, fibroblasts, and mesenchymal stem cells) in the tumor microenvironment was clarified. Additionally, we evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic potential of EVs as biomarkers for early tumor detection. The review also summarizes validated EV-associated biomarkers, offering a valuable foundation for the development of EV-based strategies in cancer diagnosis and therapy.

Keywords: Biomarker; Extracellular vesicles; Neoplasm diagnosis; Neoplasm prognosis; Tumor microenvironment

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prp.2025.156339

BMC Cancer. 2025 Dec 30.

Different plasma exosome isolation methods generated distinct microRNA and protein profiles in healthy controls and patients with advanced prostate and lung cancer.

Kapil K Avasthi, Brandon J Manley, Bruna Pellini, Jingsong Zhang, Amanda M Bloomer, Esther Jean-Baptiste, Douglas C Marchion, Bin Fang, John M Koomen, Erin M Siegel, Liang Wang.

BACKGROUND: Exosomes, extracellular vesicles pivotal in cancer intercellular communication, encapsulate biomolecules with potential as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. Efficient isolation is essential for accurate molecular profiling. This study compares three exosome isolation methods-size exclusion chromatography (SEC), lectin-binding, and TIM4-binding-for proteomic and miRNA analysis of plasma exosomes in cancer.
METHODS: Plasma exosomes from patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC, N = 22), castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC, N = 7), and healthy controls (N = 15) were analyzed. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry profiled exosomal proteins, and small RNA sequencing identified miRNAs.
RESULTS: SEC, lectin-binding, and TIM4-binding methods identified 122, 153, and 87 proteins, and 335, 89, and 181 miRNAs, respectively. SEC detected the most unique miRNAs (183), while lectin-binding excelled in unique protein detection (56). In CRPC, 69 proteins and 21 miRNAs differed significantly (p < 0.05) from controls, with SEC identifying 11 proteins and 6 miRNAs, lectin-binding detecting 40 proteins and 1 miRNA, and TIM4-binding revealing 18 proteins and 14 miRNAs. In NSCLC, 33 proteins and 15 miRNAs showed differential expression (p < 0.05), with SEC detecting 14 proteins and 3 miRNAs, lectin-binding identifying 2 proteins, and TIM4-binding uncovering 17 proteins and 12 miRNAs.
CONCLUSIONS: The choice of exosome isolation method profoundly influences molecular profiling, with SEC optimizing miRNA detection, lectin-binding enhancing protein capture, and TIM4-binding enriching cancer-specific miRNAs. These findings underscore the need for tailored isolation strategies to unlock exosomes' potential as precise, multi-omic biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and monitoring.

Keywords: Biomarkers; Cancer; Exosomes; Proteomics; Transcriptomics

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-025-15492-z

Int J Mol Sci. 2025 Dec 18. pii: 12160. [Epub ahead of print]26(24):

Significance of EVs in Prostate Cancer Bone Metastases.

Kagenori Ito, Takaaki Tamura, Fumihiko Urabe, Shinichi Sakamoto, Takahiro Kimura, Shin Egawa, Takahiro Ochiya.

Prostate cancer (PCa) exhibits a unique propensity to metastasize to bone, where it predominantly generates osteoblastic lesions. The formation of these lesions is a complex and dynamic process driven by reciprocal interactions between tumor cells and the bone microenvironment. Emerging evidence indicates that extracellular vesicles (EVs) play pivotal roles in the establishment of metastatic colonies and disease progression, as well as in local tumor-bone interactions. Through their diverse cargos, including proteins, lipids, and non-coding RNAs, EVs mediate bidirectional communication that regulates osteoclastogenesis, osteoblast activation, and osteocyte function, ultimately reshaping the bone niche to favor tumor growth. Importantly, EVs exhibit dual and context-dependent functions, acting either as promoters or suppressors of malignancy depending on the cellular source and microenvironmental context. These insights highlight EVs not only as mechanistic drivers of PCa bone metastases but also as promising therapeutic targets. Approaches aimed at modulating EV biogenesis, eliminating deleterious EVs, or harnessing EVs as drug delivery vehicles hold significant potential for advancing treatment strategies against PCa bone metastases.

Keywords: bone metastasis; extracellular vesicles; osteoblast; osteoclast; prostate cancer

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms262412160