State-of-the-Art: Exosomes in Colorectal Cancer

Abstract

: Colorectal cancer (CRC) has a high prevalence and mortality rate, globally. To date, the progression mechanisms of CRC are still elusive. Exosomes (~100 nm in diameter) correspond to a subset of extracellular vesicles formed by an array of cancerous cells and stromal cells. These particular nanovesicles carry and transmit bioactive molecules, like proteins, lipids, and genetic materials, which mediate the crosstalk between cancer cells and the microenvironment. Accumulating evidence has shown the decisive functions of exosomes in the development, metastasis, and therapy resistance of CRC. Furthermore, some recent studies have also revealed the abilities of exosomes to function as either biomarkers or therapeutic targets for CRC. This review focuses on the specific mechanisms of exosomes in regulating CRC progression, and summarizes the potential clinical applications of exosomes in the diagnosis and therapy of CRC.

A Different Exosome Secretion Pattern Characterizes Patient-Derived Colorectal Cancer Multicellular Spheroids and Their Mouse Xenografts

“…Our ultrastructural results (from a patient-derived CRC cell line) correlate for the first time the molecular data from the literature with the ultrastructural imaging of the different loose, tight, and compact MTS organizations, showing its relation with different exosome secretion patterns and amounts from both the apical and basolateral surfaces. This means that exosome production can be targeted in different pathways [ 40 ] to slow its progression. Lower exosome production will result in the lowering of cancer-promoting effects triggered by exosome-carried molecules.…”