Abstract
Peritoneal dissemination is a distinct form of metastasis in ovarian cancer that precedes hematogenic or lymphatic metastasis. Exosomes are extracellular vesicles of 30–150 nm in diameter secreted by different cell types and internalized by target cells. There is emerging evidence that exosomes facilitate the peritoneal dissemination of ovarian cancer by mediating intercellular communication between cancer cells and the tumor microenvironment through the transfer of nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids. Furthermore, therapeutic applications of exosomes as drug cargo delivery are attracting research interest because exosomes are stabilized in circulation. This review highlights the functions of exosomes in each process of the peritoneal dissemination of ovarian cancer and discusses their potential for cancer therapeutics.
Highlights
Ovarian cancer is the most lethal human gynecological malignancy [1,2]
1 (MTA1), rho-associated kinase suggested that proteins including activating transcription factor 2 (ATF2), metastasis associated (ROCK)1/2 in exosomes potentially contribute to angiogenesis
Recent study has focused on the role of an exosomal long non-coding RNA in angiogenesis and showed that the long non-coding RNA, metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1), in ovarian cancer-derived exosomes can be transferred to human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) [22]
Summary
Ovarian cancer is the most lethal human gynecological malignancy [1,2]. When it is diagnosed at an early stage, the five-year relative survival rate is over 90%. More than two-thirds of ovarian cancer patients are diagnosed at advanced stages with peritoneal dissemination, and their prognoses are poor in spite of novel molecular targeted therapies which were developed more than 20 years ago [2]. Understanding the underlying mechanism of the peritoneal dissemination of ovarian cancer is essential to overcome and control this distinct form of metastasis. Exosomes promote peritoneal dissemination through the interaction between cancer cells and their microenvironments [12,13,14].
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