Extracellular Vesicles in Tumors: A Potential Mediator of Bone Metastasis.

Shenglong Li,Wei Wang

doi:10.3389/fcell.2021.639514

Abstract

As one of the most common metastatic sites, bone has a unique microenvironment for the growth and prosperity of metastatic tumor cells. Bone metastasis is a common complication for tumor patients and accounts for 15–20% of systemic metastasis, which is only secondary to lung and liver metastasis. Cancers prone to bone metastasis include lung, breast, and prostate cancer. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are lipid membrane vesicles released from different cell types. It is clear that EVs are associated with multiple biological phenomena and are crucial for intracellular communication by transporting intracellular substances. Recent studies have implicated EVs in the development of cancer. However, the potential roles of EVs in the pathological exchange of bone cells between tumors and the bone microenvironment remain an emerging area. This review is focused on the role of tumor-derived EVs in bone metastasis and possible regulatory mechanisms.

Highlights

Malignant tumors are the second leading cause of death worldwide
These studies indicated that micro RNAs (miRNAs) could mediate cancer cell-to-osteoblast communication, which is important for the formation of bone metastases and osteogenic damage in prostatic carcinoma (PCa)
Once breast cancer cells have migrated to bone, the unique bone microenvironment could help to exchange biological information from the tumor cells to osteoblasts and osteoclasts, breaking the balance between osteolysis or osteogenesis during bone remodeling, which further results in fractures and pain and leads to death (Zhang D. et al, 2020; Pang et al, 2021)

Summary

Introduction

Malignant tumors are the second leading cause of death worldwide. Distant metastasis of tumor cells is the most common cause of cancer-related death (Krzeszinski and Wan, 2015; Hiraga, 2019; Karayazi Atici et al, 2020). Specific inhibition of the tumor-osteoclast process greatly improves the quality of life of patients with bone metastasis (Kelly et al, 2005).

Results

Conclusion