scholarly journals Tumor-Derived Extracellular Vesicles Regulate Cancer Progression in the Tumor Microenvironment

2022 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qianqian Bao ◽  
Qianqian Huang ◽  
Yunna Chen ◽  
Qiang Wang ◽  
Ran Sang ◽  
...  

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nanosized particles released by numerous kinds of cells, which are now increasingly considered as essential vehicles of cell-to-cell communication and biomarkers in disease diagnosis and treatment. They contain a variety of biomolecular components, including lipids, proteins and nucleic acids. These functional molecules can be transmitted between tumor cells and other stromal cells such as endothelial cells, fibroblasts and immune cells utilizing EVs. As a result, tumor-derived EVs can deliver molecules to remodel the tumor microenvironment, thereby influencing cancer progression. On the one hand, tumor-derived EVs reprogram functions of endothelial cells, promote cancer-associated fibroblasts transformation, induce resistance to therapy and inhibit the immune response to form a pro-tumorigenic environment. On the other hand, tumor-derived EVs stimulate the immune response to create an anti-tumoral environment. This article focuses on presenting a comprehensive and critical overview of the potential role of tumor-derived EVs-mediated communication in the tumor microenvironment.

Cancers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donatella Lucchetti ◽  
Claudio Ricciardi Tenore ◽  
Filomena Colella ◽  
Alessandro Sgambato

A better understanding of the mechanisms of cell communication between cancer cells and the tumor microenvironment is crucial to develop personalized therapies. It has been known for a while that cancer cells are metabolically distinct from other non-transformed cells. This metabolic phenotype is not peculiar to cancer cells but reflects the characteristics of the tumor microenvironment. Recently, it has been shown that extracellular vesicles are involved in the metabolic switch occurring in cancer and tumor-stroma cells. Moreover, in an immune system, the metabolic programs of different cell subsets are distinctly associated with their immunological function, and extracellular vesicles could be a key factor in the shift of cell fate modulating cancer immunity. Indeed, during tumor progression, tumor-associated immune cells and fibroblasts acquire a tumor-supportive and anti-inflammatory phenotype due to their interaction with tumor cells and several findings suggest a role of extracellular vesicles in this phenomenon. This review aims to collect all the available evidence so far obtained on the role of extracellular vesicles in the modulation of cell metabolism and immunity. Moreover, we discuss the possibility for extracellular vesicles of being involved in drug resistance mechanisms, cancer progression and metastasis by inducing immune-metabolic effects on surrounding cells.


Nanomedicine ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (26) ◽  
pp. 2625-2641
Author(s):  
Juliete Nathali Scholl ◽  
Camila Kehl Dias ◽  
Laurent Muller ◽  
Ana Maria Oliveira Battastini ◽  
Fabrício Figueiró

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are released especially by cancer cells. They modulate the tumor microenvironment by interacting with immune cells while carrying immunosuppressive or immunostimulatory molecules. In this review, we will explore some conflicting reports regarding the immunological outcomes of EVs in cancer progression, in which they might initiate an antitumor immune response or an immunosuppressive response. Concerning immunosuppression, the role of tumor-derived EVs’ in the adenosinergic system is underexplored. The enhancement of adenosine (ADO) levels in the tumor microenvironment impairs T-cell function and cytokine release. However, some tumor-derived EVs may deliver immunostimulatory factors, promoting immunogenic activity, even with ADO production. The modulatory role of ADO over the tumor progression represents a piece in an intricate microenvironment with anti and pro tumoral seesaw-like mechanisms.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dario Brambilla ◽  
Laura Sola ◽  
Elisa Chiodi ◽  
Natasa Zarovni ◽  
Diogo Fortunato ◽  
...  

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have attracted great interest among researchers due to their role in cell-cell communication, disease diagnosis, and drug delivery. In spite of their potential in the medical field, there is no consensus on the best method for separating microvesicles from cell culture supernatant and complex biological fluids. Obtaining a good recovery yield and preserving physical characteristics is critical for the diagnostic and therapeutic use of EVs. The separation is made complex by the fact that blood and cell culture media, contain a large number of nanoparticles in the same size range. Methods that exploit immunoaffinity capture provide high purity samples and overcome the issues of currently used separation methods. However, the release of captured nanovesicles requires harsh conditions that hinder their use in certain types of downstream analysis. Herein, a novel capture and release approach for small extracellular vesicles (sEVs), based on DNAdirected immobilization of antiCD63 antibody is presented. The flexible DNAlinker increases the capture efficiency and allows releasing of EVs by exploiting the endonucleasic activity of DNAse I. This separation protocol works under mild conditions, enabling the release of intact vesicles that can be successfully analyzed by imaging techniques. In this article sEVs recovered from plasma were characterized by established techniques for EVs analysis including nanoparticle tracking and transmission electron microscopy.<br>


Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 3040
Author(s):  
Zainab Hussain ◽  
Jeremy Nigri ◽  
Richard Tomasini

Deciphering the interactions between tumor and stromal cells is a growing field of research to improve pancreatic cancer-associated therapies and patients’ care. Indeed, while accounting for 50 to 90% of the tumor mass, many pieces of evidence reported that beyond their structural role, the non-tumoral cells composing the intra-tumoral microenvironment influence tumor cells’ proliferation, metabolism, cell death and resistance to therapies, among others. Simultaneously, tumor cells can influence non-tumoral neighboring or distant cells in order to shape a tumor-supportive and immunosuppressive environment as well as influencing the formation of metastatic niches. Among intercellular modes of communication, extracellular vesicles can simultaneously transfer the largest variety of signals and were recently reported as key effectors of cell–cell communication in pancreatic cancer, from its development to its evolution as well as its ability to resist available treatments. This review focuses on extracellular vesicles-mediated communication between different cellular components of pancreatic tumors, from the modulation of cellular activities and abilities to their biological and physiological relevance. Taking into consideration the intra-tumoral microenvironment and its extracellular-mediated crosstalk as main drivers of pancreatic cancer development should open up new therapeutic windows.


2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (5) ◽  
pp. 666-677 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lavinia Raimondi ◽  
Angela De Luca ◽  
Alessia Gallo ◽  
Viviana Costa ◽  
Giovanna Russelli ◽  
...  

Abstract Bone microenvironment provides growth and survival signals essential for osteosarcoma (OS) initiation and progression. OS cells regulate communications inside tumor microenvironment through different ways and, among all, tumor-derived exosomes support cancer progression and metastasis. To define the contribution of OS-derived exosomes inside the microenvironment, we investigated the effects induced in bone remodeling mechanism and tumor angiogenesis. We demonstrated that exosomes promoted osteoclasts differentiation and bone resorption activity. Furthermore, exosomes potentiated tube formation of endothelial cells and increased angiogenic markers expression. We therefore investigated the micro RNA (miRNA) cargo from exosomes and their parental cells by performing small RNA sequencing through NGS Illumina platform. Hierarchical clustering highlighted a unique molecular profile of exosomal miRNA; bioinformatic analysis by DIANA-mirPath revealed that miRNAs identified take part in various biological processes and carcinogenesis. Among these miRNAs, some were already known for their involvement in the tumor microenvironment establishment, as miR-148a and miR-21-5p. Enforced expression of miR-148a and miR-21-5p in Raw264.7 and hTert immortalized umbilical vein endothelial cells recapitulated the effects induced by exosomes. Overall, our study highlighted the importance of OS exosomes in tumor microenvironment also by a specific packaging of miRNAs.


Author(s):  
Stefano Piatto Clerici ◽  
Maikel Peppelenbosch ◽  
Gwenny Fuhler ◽  
Sílvio Roberto Consonni ◽  
Carmen Veríssima Ferreira-Halder

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is in the top 10 cancers most prevalent worldwide, affecting equally men and women. Current research on tumor-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) suggests that these small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) play an important role in mediating cell-to-cell communication and thus potentially affecting cancer progression via multiple pathways. In the present study, we hypothesized that sEVs derived from different CRC cell lines differ in their ability to reprogram normal human fibroblasts through a process called tumor education. The sEVs derived from CRC cell lines (HT29 and HCT116) were isolated by a combination of ultrafiltration and polymeric precipitation, followed by characterization based on morphology, size, and the presence or absence of EV and non-EV markers. It was observed that the HT29 cells displayed a higher concentration of sEVs compared with HCT116 cells. For the first time, we demonstrated that HT29-derived sEVs were positive for low-molecular-weight protein tyrosine phosphatase (Lmwptp). CRC cell-derived sEVs were uptake by human fibroblasts, stimulating migratory ability via Rho-Fak signaling in co-incubated human fibroblasts. Another important finding showed that HT29 cell-derived sEVs are much more efficient in activating human fibroblasts to cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). Indeed, the sEVs produced by the HT29 cells that are less responsive to a cytotoxic agent display higher efficiency in educating normal human fibroblasts by providing them advantages such as activation and migratory ability. In other words, these sEVs have an influence on the CRC microenvironment, in part, due to fibroblasts reprogramming.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erika Bandini ◽  
Tania Rossi ◽  
Emanuela Scarpi ◽  
Giulia Gallerani ◽  
Ivan Vannini ◽  
...  

Breast cancer (BC) is the most commonly diagnosed malignant tumor in women worldwide, and the leading cause of cancer death in the female population. The percentage of patients experiencing poor prognosis along with the risk of developing metastasis remains high, also affecting the resistance to current main therapies. Cancer progression and metastatic development are no longer due entirely to their intrinsic characteristics, but also regulated by signals derived from cells of the tumor microenvironment. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) packed with DNA, RNA, and proteins, are the most attractive targets for both diagnostic and therapeutic applications, and represent a decisive challenge as liquid biopsy-based markers. Here we performed a study based on a multiplexed phenotyping flow cytometric approach to characterize BC-derived EVs from BC patients and cell lines, through the detection of multiple antigens. Our data reveal the expression of EVs-related biomarkers derived from BC patient plasma and cell line supernatants, suggesting that EVs could be exploited for characterizing and monitoring disease progression.


2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (5) ◽  
pp. 1129-1136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sai V. Chitti ◽  
Pamali Fonseka ◽  
Suresh Mathivanan

Cancer cachexia is a multifactorial metabolic syndrome characterized by the rapid loss of skeletal muscle mass with or without the loss of fat mass. Nearly 50–80% of all cancer patients' experience rapid weight loss results in ∼20% of cancer-related deaths. The levels of pro-inflammatory and pro-cachectic factors were significantly up-regulated in cachexia patients when compared with the patients who were without cachexia. It is becoming evident that these factors work synergistically to induce cancer cachexia. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) including exosomes and microvesicles are implicated in cell–cell communication, immune response, tissue repair, epigenetic regulation, and in various diseases including cancer. It has been reported that these EVs regulate cancer progression, metastasis, organotropism and chemoresistance. In recent times, the role of EVs in regulating cancer cachexia is beginning to unravel. The aim of this mini article is to review the recent knowledge gained in the field of EVs and cancer cachexia. Specifically, the role of tumour cell-derived EVs in promoting catabolism in distally located skeletal muscles and adipose tissue will be discussed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (17) ◽  
pp. 6318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Luisa Fiani ◽  
Valeria Barreca ◽  
Massimo Sargiacomo ◽  
Flavia Ferrantelli ◽  
Francesco Manfredi ◽  
...  

Immunosuppression at tumor microenvironment (TME) is one of the major obstacles to be overcome for an effective therapeutic intervention against solid tumors. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) comprise a sub-population that plays multiple pro-tumoral roles in tumor development including general immunosuppression, which can be identified in terms of high expression of mannose receptor (MR or CD206). Immunosuppressive TAMs, like other macrophage sub-populations, display functional plasticity that allows them to be re-programmed to inflammatory macrophages. In order to mitigate immunosuppression at the TME, several efforts are ongoing to effectively re-educate pro-tumoral TAMs. Extracellular vesicles (EVs), released by both normal and tumor cells types, are emerging as key mediators of the cell to cell communication and have been shown to have a role in the modulation of immune responses in the TME. Recent studies demonstrated the enrichment of high mannose glycans on the surface of small EVs (sEVs), a subtype of EVs of endosomal origin of 30–150 nm in diameter. This characteristic renders sEVs an ideal tool for the delivery of therapeutic molecules into MR/CD206-expressing TAMs. In this review, we report the most recent literature data highlighting the critical role of TAMs in tumor development, as well as the experimental evidences that has emerged from the biochemical characterization of sEV membranes. In addition, we propose an original way to target immunosuppressive TAMs at the TME by endogenously engineered sEVs for a new therapeutic approach against solid tumors.


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (10) ◽  
pp. 2584 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shinsuke Kikuchi ◽  
Yusuke Yoshioka ◽  
Marta Prieto-Vila ◽  
Takahiro Ochiya

The primary cause of mortality among patients with cancer is the progression of the tumor, better known as cancer invasion and metastasis. Cancer progression involves a series of biologically important steps in which the cross-talk between cancer cells and the cells in the surrounding environment is positioned as an important issue. Notably, angiogenesis is a key tumorigenic phenomenon for cancer progression. Cancer-related extracellular vesicles (EVs) commonly contribute to the modulation of a microenvironment favorable to cancer cells through their function of cell-to-cell communication. Vascular-related cells such as endothelial cells (ECs) and platelets activated by cancer cells and cancer-derived EVs develop procoagulant and proinflammatory statuses, which help excite the tumor environment, and play major roles in tumor progression, including in tumor extravasation, tumor cell microthrombi formation, platelet aggregation, and metastasis. In particular, cancer-derived EVs influence ECs, which then play multiple roles such as contributing to tumor angiogenesis, loss of endothelial vascular barrier by binding to ECs, and the subsequent endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition, i.e., extracellular matrix remodeling. Thus, cell-to-cell communication between cancer cells and ECs via EVs may be an important target for controlling cancer progression. This review describes the current knowledge regarding the involvement of EVs, especially exosomes derived from cancer cells, in EC-related cancer progression.


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