Extracellular vesicles in urological malignancies

Abstract

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are small lipid bound structures released from cells containing bioactive cargoes. Both the type of cargo and amount loaded varies compared to that of the parent cell. The characterisation of EVs in cancers of the male urogenital tract has identified several cargoes with promising diagnostic and disease monitoring potential. EVs released by cancers of the male urogenital tract promote cell-to-cell communication, migration, cancer progression and manipulate the immune system promoting metastasis by evading the immune response. Their use as diagnostic biomarkers represents a new area of screening and disease detection, potentially reducing the need for invasive biopsies. Many validated EV cargoes have been found to have superior sensitivity and specificity than current diagnostic tools currently in use. The use of EVs to improve disease monitoring and develop novel therapeutics will enable clinicians to individualise patient management in the exciting era of personalised medicine.

Chasing the Role of miRNAs in RCC: From Free-Circulating to Extracellular-Vesicle-Derived Biomarkers

“…Recently, EVs showed increasing potential in the field of urological malignancies [ 41 ]. An increasing number of studies are focusing on EV cargoes, particularly miRNAs, in relation to diagnostic and prognostic accuracy, treatment response, as well as numerous biological processes [ 42 , 43 ].…”

Lipid-Based Nanovesicular Drug Delivery Systems

“…The most heterogeneous and versatile class of lipid vesicles is certainly that of extracellular vesicles (EVs) (Figure 9) including apoptotic bodies, microvesicles, and exosomes. These vesicles are ubiquitarian and can be isolated from cells culture media and from all the major biological fluid as urine, plasma, saliva, amniotic and cerebrospinal fluid, semen, among others [242][243][244][245]. Both apoptotic bodies and microvesicles, with dimensions ranging between 500 nm and 2 µm and from 50 nm to 1 µm, respectively, arise from plasma cell membrane outward blebbing and fragmentation.…”