Exosomes and their importance in metastasis, diagnosis, and therapy of colorectal cancer

Abstract

Extracellular vesicles are known as actual intermediaries of intercellular communications, such as biological signals and cargo transfer between different cells. A variety of cells release the exosomes as nanovesicular bodies. Exosomes contain different compounds such as several types of nucleic acids and proteins. In this study, we focused on exosomes in colorectal cancer as good tools that can be involved in various cancer‐related processes. Furthermore, we summarize the advantages and disadvantages of exosome extraction methods and review related studies on the role of exosomes in colorectal cancer. Finally, we focus on reports available on relations between mesenchymal stem cell–derived exosomes and colorectal cancer. Several cancer‐related processes such as cancer progression, metastasis, and drug resistance of colorectal cancer are related to the cargoes of exosomes. A variety of molecules, especially proteins, microRNAs, and long noncoding RNAs, play important roles in these processes. The microenvironment features, such as hypoxia, also have very important effects on the properties of the origin cell–derived exosomes. On the other hand, exosomes derived from colorectal cancer cells also interfere with cancer chemoresistance. Furthermore, today it is known that exosomes and their contents can likely be very effective in noninvasive colorectal cancer diagnosis and therapy. Thus, exosomes, and especially their cargoes, play different key roles in various aspects of basic and clinical research related to both progression and therapy of colorectal cancer.

Exosomal Non Coding RNA in LIQUID Biopsies as a Promising Biomarker for Colorectal Cancer

“…Exosomes that are secreted by CRC cell lines in vitro or by tissues in vivo have several functions in cancer elicited by its content. They can promote tumor growth [64][65][66], immune evasion [67,68], angiogenesis [69][70][71], metastasis [69,[72][73][74][75][76], chemoresistance [76][77][78][79], and inducing endothelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in recipient cells [73,74,80,81] (Figure 1).…”

Emerging roles and therapeutic value of exosomes in cancer metastasis

“…There are biological vulnerabilities for tumor cells at various stages of metastasis, and these vulnerabilities provide opportunities for blocking the metastatic process. Because exosomes are involved in metastatic cascades and possess appealing properties for therapeutic delivery [90], we will comprehensively review below the current exosome-based therapeutic approaches with promising clinical applications.…”

“…Exosomes contain a variety of miRNA that can be targeted to restrain exosome-mediated metastasis [99]. In colorectal cancer (CRC), CRC-derived exosomal miR-NAs have been shown to promote tumor cell proliferation [90,100], making it possible to use gene therapy to suppress tumor metastasis by engineering exosomal miRNA. Furthermore, miR-379 in CRC-derived exosomes has been found to down-regulate the migration of CRC cells, and transfer of these engineered miR-379-overexpressing exosomes to recipient cells reduced their migration [101].…”

The emergence of melatonin in oncology: Focus on colorectal cancer

“…Indeed, recent studies have illuminated the existence of a new type of intercellular mediator on which there are currently many expectations placed; this is the extracellular nanosized vesicles integrating the secretome (exosomes, microvesicles and apoptotic bodies). The existence of a programmed export to local and/or distant recipient cells of functional packaged material in membrane envelopes, has opened new conceptual perspectives on cellular communications, as well as new targets against cancer, including CRC . Among the different extracellular vesicles, exosomes have attracted the greatest interest in oncological research because of their apparent implication in tumor growth and therapy resistance .…”

“…The existence of a programmed export to local and/or distant recipient cells of functional packaged material in membrane envelopes, has opened new conceptual perspectives on cellular communications, as well as new targets against cancer, including CRC. 376,377 Among the different extracellular vesicles, exosomes have attracted the greatest interest in oncological research because of their apparent implication in tumor growth and therapy resistance. 378 Of special translational importance is the potential of circulating exosomes in liquid biopsies as biomarkers for early diagnosis, prognosis and responses to therapy of CRC patients.…”