Exosomes in Immune Regulation

Abstract

Exosomes, small extracellular vesicles mediate intercellular communication by transferring their cargo including DNA, RNA, proteins and lipids from cell to cell. Notably, in the immune system, they have protective functions. However in cancer, exosomes acquire new, immunosuppressive properties that cause the dysregulation of immune cells and immune escape of tumor cells supporting cancer progression and metastasis. Therefore, current investigations focus on the regulation of exosome levels for immunotherapeutic interventions. In this review, we discuss the role of exosomes in immunomodulation of lymphoid and myeloid cells, and their use as immune stimulatory agents to elicit specific cytotoxic responses against the tumor.

Exosomes: Potential Disease Biomarkers and New Therapeutic Targets

“…TDEs have the ability to transport immunomodulatory molecules, which is a crucial aspect of the antitumor immune response, recognized as a key feature of metastasis that can also contribute to resistance to therapy [121]. For example, breast cancer-derived exosomal programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) was shown to bind to the PD-1 receptor on CD8 T cells, promoting their dysfunction, which in turn promotes tumor growth [122].…”

Application progress of RVG peptides to facilitate the delivery of therapeutic agents into the central nervous system

“…As extracellular vesicles (40–120 nm) are released by many cell types, exosomes can transfer mRNA, 69 microRNA, 70 and protein 71 for therapeutic purposes.…”

Exosome-Mediated Crosstalk Between Tumor and Tumor-Associated Macrophages

“…Depending on the cell of origin, exosomes contain many constituents of a cell, including DNA, RNA, lipids, metabolites, and cytosolic and surface proteins ( Kalluri and LeBleu, 2020 ). It has been demonstrated that exosomes are associated with immune response and cancer progression ( Li Z. et al, 2020 ; Ma et al, 2021 ; Schwarzenbach and Gahan, 2021 ). The components delivered by exosomes to recipient cells result in the alteration of biological response, which can be disease-promoting or restraining.…”

“…In addition, based on their capabilities to transfer molecules from their origin cells to peripheral circulation, increasing studies are considering exosomes as tumor biomarkers ( Lan B. et al, 2019 ). Importantly, both natural and modified EVs offer the possibility of delivering the therapeutic immunology components for the control and destruction of tumor cells ( Schwarzenbach and Gahan, 2021 ). Exosomes are less toxic and immunogenic than the other nano-carriers.…”

“…Tumor cells and tumor-associated cells, acting as either host cells or recipient cells, can transport biomolecules and cell components through exosomes ( Schwarzenbach and Gahan, 2021 ). These exosomes are considered as new participants in the mechanism of tumor growth, invasion, angiogenesis, inflammation response, immunologic remodeling, and therapeutic effects, strongly supporting the significance of exosome-mediated host-recipient communication.…”