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Exosomes in cancer: Use them or target them?
Nuno Bastos1, Carolina F Ruivo1, Soraia da Silva1
1Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal (i3S), Porto, Portugal; Institute of Molecular Pathology & Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), Porto, Portugal.
Seminars in Cell & Developmental Biology
|August 15, 2017
Summary
Exosomes, small vesicles crucial in cancer, offer dual therapeutic potential. They can be harnessed for drug delivery or targeted to inhibit tumor progression and enhance cancer treatment strategies.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Cell Biology
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Exosomes are key mediators in cancer progression and hallmarks.
- Exosomes play a significant role in intercellular communication within the tumor microenvironment.
- Understanding exosome function is critical for developing novel cancer therapies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the dual role of exosomes in cancer.
- To explore exosome-based strategies for cancer therapy improvement.
- To discuss targeting exosomes to counteract their pro-tumorigenic functions.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of exosome research in oncology.
- Analysis of exosome-mediated communication in cancer hallmarks.
- Evaluation of exosome stability and tumor-targeting capabilities for drug delivery.
Main Results:
- Exosomes facilitate cancer progression and influence response to therapy.
- Exosomes demonstrate potential as drug delivery vehicles due to their stability and targeting capacity.
- Strategies exist to enhance exosome utility in clinical cancer treatment.
Conclusions:
- Exosomes present a promising avenue for novel cancer therapeutics.
- Targeting exosome-mediated signaling can inhibit tumor growth and improve treatment outcomes.
- Further development is needed to fully realize exosomes' clinical potential in oncology.
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