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Review
. 2023 Feb 1;24(2):363-373.
doi: 10.31557/APJCP.2023.24.2.363.

Exosome Mediated Cancer Therapeutic Approach:Present Status and Future Prospectives

Anitha Roy  1   2 , Smiline Girija As  3 , Pitchaipillai Sankar Ganesh  3 , Muthupandian Saravanan  1 , Basil Sunny  4
Affiliations
Review

Exosome Mediated Cancer Therapeutic Approach:Present Status and Future Prospectives

Anitha Roy et al. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. .

Abstract

The unique extracellular vesicles (EVs) or exosomes formed by the sequential invagination of the plasma membrane are diverse and encompass important constituents with biological functions. Speculations on its cell independent biological functions are significant and pose them as vital biomarkers and as drug delivery vehicles especially in cancer. EVs possess theragnostic values and are known to elicit specific immune response. Exosomes can also serve as potential nanocarriers for delivering miRNA, siRNA, anti-cancer drugs and membrane-associated proteins. Exosomes play a crucial role in regulating tumour progression, metastasis, and angiogenesis. This review thus portrays the multiple facets of exosomes, in concert with the source for exosomes production and further on its regulation and intercellular communication. The review also explores the recent advances, present status and the future prospective in the application of exosomes in cancer therapeutics and cancer diagnostics.

Keywords: cancer-therapeutics; drug delivery vehicles; exosomes; immuno-therapy.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Role of Exosomes in the Development and Progression of Tumour Microenvironment (TME). 1. Exosome-mediated immune regulation modules the TME resulting in immune-evasion exhibiting immunosuppressive and tolerogenic characters. 2. The cellular elements in the TME, viz., immune cells (T lymphocytes, B lymphocytes, NK cells, natural killer T cells, and tumor-associated macrophages or TAMs), and endothelial cells (ECs), play a critical role in tumor-stromal interactions and can modulate the biological activities of cancer cells 3. Exosomesacts in the differentiation of fibroblasts (cancer-associated fibroblasts or CAFs) and mesenchymal cells into myofibroblasts. 4. Exosomes induce angiogenesis by changing the biological characteristics of endothelial cells and directly regulates the pro-angiogenic and pro-permeability factors. 5. Additionally, exosomes may lead to metastatic invasion, extracellular matrix degradation, and vascular leakage
Figure 2
Figure 2
Promising Applications of Exosomes as Natural Cargoes to be Implemented as Drug Delivery Vehicles to Treat Different Types of Cancers, Systemic Diseases and as Theragnostic Marker
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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