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Extracellular Vesicles: Emerging Modulators of Cancer Drug Resistance

Fabrizio Fontana1, Emanuela Carollo2, Genevieve E Melling2,3

  • 1Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milan, Italy.

Cancers
|March 6, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are key to cancer drug resistance. These vesicles can sequester drugs and transfer molecules, promoting treatment failure and impacting tumor progression.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Cell Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Extracellular vesicles (EVs) play a significant role in cancer progression.
  • EVs are increasingly recognized as mediators of cancer drug resistance.
  • Understanding EV-mediated resistance is crucial for improving cancer therapy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the cellular and molecular mechanisms of EV-mediated cancer drug resistance.
  • To highlight the role of EVs in drug sequestration and horizontal gene transfer.
  • To discuss the impact of EVs on tumor-stromal and tumor-immune cell communication.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies on EVs and cancer drug resistance.
  • Analysis of mechanisms including drug sequestration, cargo transfer, and microenvironment modulation.
  • Synthesis of current knowledge on EV-driven resistance pathways.

Main Results:

  • EVs can directly sequester anti-cancer drugs, reducing their efficacy.
  • EVs facilitate the transfer of bioactive molecules, inducing drug resistance in recipient cells.
  • EVs mediate intercellular communication, promoting tumor survival and treatment escape.

Conclusions:

  • EVs are critical players in the development of cancer drug resistance.
  • Targeting EV-mediated mechanisms could offer novel therapeutic strategies.
  • Further research into EV biology is essential for advancing cancer treatment and patient outcomes.
Keywords:
MDR transporterscancer drug resistancecancer stem cellschemotherapyextracellular vesiclesmiRNAstumor microenvironment

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