Roles of exosomal circRNAs in tumour immunity and cancer progression
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 20, 2025

A Preclinical Mouse Model of Osteosarcoma to Define the Extracellular Vesicle-mediated Communication Between Tumor and Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Published on: May 6, 2018
Baojing Tuo1,2, Zhuang Chen1, Qin Dang1
1Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China.
Abstract:
Tumour immunity plays an important role in the development of cancer. Tumour immunotherapy is an important component of antitumour therapy. Exosomes, a type of extracellular vesicle, act as mediators of intercellular communication and molecular transfer and play an essential role in tumour immunity. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a new type of noncoding RNA that are enriched within exosomes. In this review, we describe the effects of exosomal circRNAs on various immune cells and the mechanisms of these effects, including macrophages, neutrophils, T cells, and Natural killer (NK) cells. Next, we elaborate on the latest progress of exosome extraction. In addition, the function of exosomal circRNAs as a potential prognostic and drug sensitivity marker is described. We present the great promise of exosomal circRNAs in regulating tumour immunity, predicting patient outcomes, and evaluating drug efficacy.
Related Concept Videos
Overview of Exosomes
Stahl et al. discovered exosomes in 1983, but the exosomes were initially considered waste products released from the...
The Tumor Microenvironment
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...
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression
The mTOR pathway or the...
Cancer Stem Cells and Tumor Maintenance
Cancer stem cells are thought to originate from tissue-specific normal stem cells or progenitor cells. The normal stem cells usually reside in...
Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells
Some of the advantages that cancer cells have on normal cells include - enhanced ability to divide without terminally differentiating, induce new blood vessel formation,...

