Open AccessFormation, contents, functions of exosomes and their potential in lung cancer diagnostics and therapeutics
Author(s) -
Xia Zhenkun,
Qing Bei,
Wang Wei,
Gu Linguo,
Chen Hongzuo,
Yuan Yunchang
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
thoracic cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.823
H-Index - 28
eISSN - 1759-7714
pISSN - 1759-7706
DOI - 10.1111/1759-7714.14217
Subject(s) - microvesicles , medicine , lung cancer , tumor microenvironment , cancer research , carcinogenesis , metastasis , cancer , drug delivery , disease , drug resistance , tumor progression , microrna , tumor cells , pathology , biology , biochemistry , chemistry , organic chemistry , gene , microbiology and biotechnology
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer‐related death worldwide due to diagnosis in the advanced stage and drug resistance in the subsequent treatments. Development of novel diagnostic and therapeutic methods is urged to improve the disease outcome. Exosomes are nano‐sized vehicles which transport different types of biomolecules intercellularly, including DNA, RNA and proteins, and are implicated in cross‐talk between cells and their surrounding microenvironment. Tumor‐derived exosomes (TEXs) have been revealed to strongly influence the tumor microenvironment, antitumor immunoregulatory activities, tumor progression and metastasis. Potential of TEXs as biomarkers for lung cancer diagnosis, prognosis and treatment prediction is supported by numerous studies. Moreover, exosomes have been proposed to be promising drug carriers. Here, we review the mechanisms of exosomal formation and uptake, the functions of exosomes in carcinogenesis, and potential clinical utility of exosomes as biomarkers, tumor vaccine and drug delivery vehicles in the diagnosis and therapeutics of lung cancer.