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Updated: Mar 7, 2026

A Preclinical Mouse Model of Osteosarcoma to Define the Extracellular Vesicle-mediated Communication Between Tumor and Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Published on: May 6, 2018
The role of exosomes in cancer metastasis
Teresa Bernadette Steinbichler1, József Dudás1, Herbert Riechelmann1
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
Abstract:
Exosomes are small membrane vesicles with a size ranging from 40 to 100nm. They can serve as functional mediators in cell interaction leading to cancer metastasis. Metastasis is a complex multistep process of cancer cell invasion, survival in blood vessels, attachment to and colonization of the host organ. Exosomes influence every step of this cascade and can be targeted by oncological treatment. This review highlights the role of exosomes in the various steps of the metastatic cascade and how exosome dependent pathways can be targeted as therapeutic approach or used for liquid biopsies.
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