Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 17, 2026
08:02
In Vivo Immunogenicity Screening of Tumor-Derived Extracellular Vesicles by Flow Cytometry of Splenic T Cells
Published on: September 23, 2021
3.0K
Perturbed CD81 in lung-cancer-derived extracellular vesicles modifies its function in cancer pathophysiology
Anjugam Paramanantham1, Siddharth Das1, Rahmat Asfiya1
1Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, MO 65212, USA.
Molecular Therapy. Oncology
|September 16, 2025
Summary
Extracellular vesicle (EV) cargo CD81 drives lung cancer (LC) progression. Silencing CD81 in EVs enhances uptake and inhibits LC cell growth and migration, revealing a novel therapeutic strategy for lung cancer.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Lung cancer (LC) is a major cause of cancer mortality, demanding novel therapeutic approaches.
- Extracellular vesicles (EVs) and their cargo, such as CD81, are implicated in cancer progression.
- CD81, a tetraspanin protein, influences angiogenesis and cancer pathogenesis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of CD81 in extracellular vesicles (EVs) in lung cancer (LC) progression.
- To evaluate the therapeutic potential of CD81-silenced EVs (EV-siCD81) in LC models.
Main Methods:
- Quantification of CD81 levels in EVs from LC cell lines and patient-derived tumoroids.
- Generation and characterization of EVs from CD81-silenced LC cells (EV-siCD81).
- Assessment of cellular uptake, colony formation, and migration of LC cells treated with EV-siCD81.
Main Results:
- Elevated CD81 levels were observed in EVs from LC cells and tumoroids compared to controls.
- EV-siCD81 exhibited enhanced cellular uptake by recipient LC cells.
- Treatment with EV-siCD81 significantly reduced colony formation and inhibited LC cell migration.
- EV-siCD81 were found to be enriched with tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 2 (TIMP-2).
Conclusions:
- CD81 plays a critical role in lung cancer progression.
- CD81-silenced EVs (EV-siCD81), enriched with TIMP-2, demonstrate significant anti-tumor effects.
- EV-siCD81 represent a promising innovative therapeutic agent for lung cancer management.
Related Concept Videos
02:17The Tumor Microenvironment
7.6K
Every normal cell or tissue is embedded in a complex local environment called stroma, consisting of different cell types, a basal membrane, and blood vessels. As normal cells mutate and develop into cancer cells, their local environment also changes to allow cancer progression. The tumor microenvironment (TME) consists of a complex cellular matrix of stromal cells and the developing tumor. The cross-talk between cancer cells and surrounding stromal cells is critical to disrupt normal tissue...
7.6K
01:27Tumor Immunotherapy
1.8K
Immunotherapy is a treatment that boosts or manipulates the immune system to fight diseases, including cancer. For instance, by stimulating an immune response through vaccinations against viruses that cause cancers, like hepatitis B virus and human papillomavirus, these diseases can be prevented. Nonetheless, some cancer cells can avoid the immune system due to their rapid mutation and division. The immune response to many cancers involves three phases: elimination, equilibrium, and escape.
1.8K
01:35Cancer Cell Migration through Invadopodia
3.2K
Invadosome is a broad category of cell surface structures with proteolytic activity that degrades the extracellular matrix (ECM). Invadosomes are present in normal cell types, including macrophages, endothelial cells, and neurons, as well as tumor cells. Although the macrophage podosomes and tumor cell invadopodia are classified as invadosomes, they have different structures, molecular pathways, and functions. Podosomes are short structures that last for a few minutes. However,...
3.2K
02:38Mitogens and the Cell Cycle
7.7K
Mitogens and their receptors play a crucial role in controlling the progression of the cell cycle. However, the loss of mitogenic control over cell division leads to tumor formation. Therefore, mitogens and mitogen receptors play an important role in cancer research. For instance, the epidermal growth factor (EGF) - a type of mitogen and its transmembrane receptor (EGFR), decides the fate of the cell's proliferation. When EGF binds to EGFR, a member of the ErbB family of tyrosine kinase...
7.7K
02:30Metastasis
6.4K
Metastasis is the spread of cancer cells from the original site to distant locations in the body. Cancer cells can spread via blood vessels (hematogenous) as well as lymph vessels in the body.
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...
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...
6.4K