Let’s remember… What are exosomes?
Exosomes, which are a tiny bag-like structure that forms inside a cell and contains some of the cellular proteins as well as portions of the cell’s DNA and RNA, act as proteins for some cells and are information carriers for others.
Great potential of exosomes in cancer therapy
It should be emphasized that cancer is a major disease and the leading cause of mortality worldwide. Although various treatment approaches, such as surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy, have been developed and have effectively improved patient prognoses, both intrinsic and acquired resistance to therapy contribute to reduced therapeutic efficacy, resulting in poor cancer patient outcomes.
Very recent work has shown that mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes are critically involved in cancer resistance to chemotherapy agents, targeted therapy drugs, radiotherapy and immunotherapy. These exosomes have been exploited as a new therapeutic strategy in anti-tumor treatment due to their various advantages, such as biocompatibility, promising potential for modification and lack of cytotoxicity.
Mesenchymal stem cell exosomes are evaluated in:
- Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is currently the first-line therapeutic strategy for a number of malignancies. Several studies have identified that MSC-derived exosomes can enhance chemosensitivity in several types of cancer, and evidence has been shown where they are deeply involved in resistance to cancer chemotherapy because they directly deliver functional proteins and RNA.
- Targeted therapy
MSC-derived exosomes can also reverse resistance to targeted cancer therapy. Multiple targeted therapy drugs have been applied in the treatment of various cancers, such as cetuximab and panitumumab targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor.
- Radiotherapy
MSC-derived exosomes are also involved in mediating cancer radiotherapy resistance. They could enhance the effectiveness of radiotherapy in inhibiting tumor growth and metastasis in a melanoma mouse model, suggesting the usefulness of combining radiotherapy with MSC-derived exosomes in the treatment of cancer patients.
- Immunotherapy
Ongoing studies indicate that MSC-derived exosomes also critically participate in immunomodulation, mainly by regulating immune cell functions and altering the secretion of inflammatory factors.
