Open AccessExosomal microRNAs in cancer-related sarcopenia: Tumor-derived exosomal microRNAs in muscle atrophy
Author(s) -
Chenyuan Li,
Qi Wu,
Zhiyu Li,
Zhong Wang,
Yi Tu,
Chuang Chen,
Si Sun
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
experimental biology and medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.012
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1535-3702
pISSN - 1535-3699
DOI - 10.1177/1535370221990322
Subject(s) - wasting , sarcopenia , microvesicles , microrna , cancer , muscle atrophy , autophagy , inflammation , atrophy , skeletal muscle , bioinformatics , catabolism , downregulation and upregulation , medicine , biology , cancer research , metabolism , biochemistry , apoptosis , gene
Cancer-associated sarcopenia is a complex metabolic syndrome marked by muscle mass wasting. Muscle wasting is a serious complication that is a primary contributor to cancer-related mortality. The underlying molecular mechanisms of cancer-associated sarcopenia have not been completely described to date. In general, evidence shows that the main pathophysiological alterations in sarcopenia are associated with the degradation of cellular components, an exceptional inflammatory secretome and mitochondrial dysfunction. Importantly, we highlight the prospect that several miRNAs carried by tumor-derived exosomes that have shown the ability to promote inflammatory secretion, activate catabolism, and even participate in the regulation of cellular degradation pathways can be delivered to and exert effects on muscle cells. In this review, we aim to describe the current knowledge about the functions of exosomal miRNAs in the induction of cancer-associated muscle wasting and propose potential treatment strategies.