Extracellular Vesicles and Cancer

Abstract: In mammalian animals， distinct cells can exchange information by transferring signals including not only single molecules but also extracellular vesicles (EVs)， the latter often varying in the origin of cell，formation pathway， content composition and biological functions. Most EVs originate from endosome or plasma membrane， including exosomes， microvesicles and apoptotic bodies. Each EV can be secreted by normal or cancerous cells， transporting stuffs of biological activities， regulating physiology or pathophysiology including tumorigenesis. Here we review the recent evidence of functional roles of EVs by focusing on their implications in human cancer behaviors， including inducing tumorigenesis and tumor growth， generating therapy resistance，reprogramming energy metabolism， causing genomic instability， remodeling tumor microenvironment， promoting metastasis and evading immune surveillance. A deeper understanding of EVs and their contribution to human diseases particularly cancer progression can lead to new opportunities in clinical diagnosis and treatment of cancer in current worldwide settings of personalized medicine.

CSTR: 32200.14.cjcb.2016.04.0001