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Intralumenal Vesicles and Multivesicular Bodies01:38

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Intraluminal vesicles (ILVs) are small vesicles 50-80 nm in diameter formed during the maturation of early endosomes. A specialized endosome containing numerous ILVs is called a multivesicular body (MVB). ILVs contain internalized molecules such as antigens, nucleic acids, proteins, and metabolites. Some of these molecules are released from the MVBs inside exosomes and are transported to other cells. Other MVBs contain molecules that are retained in the ILVs and are later degraded within the...
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Isolation and Characterization of Microvesicles from Peripheral Blood
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Microvesicles in Cancer: Small Size, Large Potential.

Kerstin Menck1, Suganja Sivaloganathan1, Annalen Bleckmann1,2

  • 1Department of Medicine A, Hematology, Oncology, and Pneumology, University Hospital Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany.

International Journal of Molecular Sciences
|August 1, 2020
PubMed
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Microvesicles (MV), larger extracellular vesicles shed from tumor cells, promote cancer progression and metastasis. Their accessibility in blood makes them promising biomarkers and therapeutic targets for cancer.

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Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Cell Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Extracellular vesicles (EVs) mediate intercellular communication within the tumor microenvironment (TME).
  • EVs include exosomes (small, endosome-derived) and microvesicles (MV, larger, plasma membrane-derived).
  • MVs, despite biological differences from exosomes, exhibit similar tumor-promoting functions in the TME.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the biology, composition, and function of MVs in the TME.
  • To explore the potential of MVs as cancer biomarkers.
  • To discuss the therapeutic applications of MVs in cancer treatment.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review focusing on microvesicle research.
  • Analysis of MVs' role in tumor invasion and metastasis.
  • Discussion of MVs' characterization via flow cytometry.

Main Results:

  • MVs are directly shed from the plasma membrane and are larger than exosomes.
  • MVs contribute to establishing a pro-tumorigenic TME.
  • MVs can be readily isolated from patient blood and analyzed for surface molecules.

Conclusions:

  • MVs are significant players in cancer progression and metastasis.
  • MVs hold promise as accessible biomarkers for cancer detection.
  • MVs present opportunities for novel cancer therapeutic strategies.