Abstract
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are a heterogeneous collection of membrane-bound structures that play key roles in intercellular communication. EVs are potent regulators of tumorigenesis and function largely via the shuttling of cargo molecules (RNA, DNA, protein, etc.) among cancer cells and the cells of the tumor stroma. EV-based crosstalk can promote proliferation, shape the tumor microenvironment, enhance metastasis, and allow tumor cells to evade immune destruction. In many cases these functions have been linked to the presence of specific cargo molecules. Herein we will review various types of EV cargo molecule and their functional impacts in the context of oncology.
Highlights
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are a collection of lipid-bilayer enclosed vesicles secreted by virtually all cell types including cancer cells
The uptake of EVs at specific locations within the body appears to play a key role in determining the location of metasteses, as evidenced by the observation that injection of lung-tropic EVs into mice increased the lung metastatic capacity of breast cancer cells which normally metastasize preferentially to bone [110]
Tumor-derived EVs are able to induce the transformation of normal stromal fibroblasts into activated cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) [121,122,123,124,125]
Summary
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are a collection of lipid-bilayer enclosed vesicles secreted by virtually all cell types including cancer cells. While other subtypes certainly exist, we use the term “EVs” to refer primarily to exosomes, ectosomes, and apoptotic bodies. Once formed, exosomes are released into the extracellular space via fusion of the MVB with the plasma membrane. We use the term EVs to reflect the heterogeneous nature of these vesicles and the imperfect methods used to isolate them (which can lead to a mixture of EV subtypes). EVs interact with recipient cells in a number of ways, including ligand–receptor interaction [3], release of vesicle contents in the extracellular space by bursting [4], direct fusion with the plasma membrane [5], and endocytosis into the cell [6].
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