Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 11, 2026

Studying the Role of Alveolar Macrophages in Breast Cancer Metastasis
Published on: June 26, 2016
Exosome: Function and Role in Cancer Metastasis and Drug Resistance
Chengcheng Zhang1,2, Qing Ji2, Yue Yang2
11 Department of Medical Oncology, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Abstract:
As a kind of nanometric lipidic vesicles, exosomes have been presumed to play a leading role in the regulation of tumor microenvironment through exosomes-mediated transfer of proteins and genetic materials. Tumor-derived exosomes are recognized as a critical determinant of the tumor progression. Intriguingly, some current observations have identified that exosomes are essential for several intercellular exchanges of proteins, messenger RNAs, noncoding RNAs (including long noncoding RNAs and microRNAs) as well as to the process of cancer metastasis and drug resistance. Herein, we review the role of exosomes and their molecular cargos in cancer invasion and metastasis, summarize how they interact with antitumor agents, and highlight their translational implications.
Related Concept Videos
Treatment Resistant Cancers
Hepatic Drug Clearance: Role of Transporters
Metastasis
Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition
The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition or EMT is a developmental process commonly observed in wound healing, embryogenesis, and cancer metastasis. EMT is induced by transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) or receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) ligands, which further...
Overview of Exosomes
Stahl et al. discovered exosomes in 1983, but the exosomes were initially considered waste products released from the...
Resistivity
Resistance

