Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 11, 2025

Characterization of Immune Cell-derived Extracellular Vesicles and Studying Functional Impact on Cell Environment
Published on: June 2, 2020
Tumour-derived small extracellular vesicles contribute to the tumour progression through reshaping the systemic
Zhimin Du1,2,3, Hui Zhang1,2, Yueyuan Feng1,2
1Affiliated Cancer Hospital & Institute of Guangzhou Medical University, 510095, Guangzhou, China.
Background:
Tumour-derived small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) play a crucial role in cancer immunomodulation. In addition to tumour immune microenvironment, the peripheral immune system also contributes significantly to cancer progression and is essential for anticancer immunity. However, a comprehensive definition of which and how peripheral immune lineages are regulated by tumour-derived sEVs during cancer development remains incomplete.
Methods:
In this study, we used mass cytometry with extensive antibody panels to comprehensively construct the systemic immune landscape in response to tumour development and tumour-derived sEVs.
Results:
Systemic immunity was dramatically altered by tumour growth and tumour-derived sEVs. Tumour-derived sEVs significantly and extensively affected immune cell population composition as well as intracellular pathways, resulting in an immunosuppressive peripheral and tumour immune microenvironment, characterised by increased myeloid-derived suppressor cells and decreased Ly6C+CD8 T cells. These sEVs largely promoted hematopoietic recovery and accelerate the differentiation towards myeloid-derived suppressor cells. The knockdown of Rab27a reduced sEV secretion from tumour cells and delayed tumour growth and metastasis in vivo.
Conclusions:
These results highlight that tumour-derived sEVs function as a bridge between peripheral immunity regulation and the tumour microenvironment, and contribute to cancer progression through altering the composition and function of the global immune macroenvironment.
More Related Videos
08:02In Vivo Immunogenicity Screening of Tumor-Derived Extracellular Vesicles by Flow Cytometry of Splenic T Cells
Published on: September 23, 2021
11:15A Preclinical Mouse Model of Osteosarcoma to Define the Extracellular Vesicle-mediated Communication Between Tumor and Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Published on: May 6, 2018
Related Concept Videos
The Tumor Microenvironment
Overview of Exosomes
Stahl et al. discovered exosomes in 1983, but the exosomes were initially considered waste products released from the...
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...
Tumor Immunotherapy