bims-exocan Biomed News
on Exosomes roles in cancer
Issue of 2025–11–09
seven papers selected by
Muhammad Rizwan, COMSATS University
  1. Role of exosomes in cancer: from diagnosis to therapy.
  2. Exosomes in hepatocellular carcinoma: involvement in reprogramming the tumor microenvironment for immune evasion, metastasis, angiogenesis, and drug resistance.
  3. Exosomes in early detection of urological Cancer.
  4. Exosomes in cancer metabolism and drug resistance: A review.
  5. Exosomal Non-Coding RNAs in Pancreatic Cancer: From Mechanisms to Clinical Applications.
  6. Smart nanocarriers for cancer: harnessing exosomes and lipid systems in photodynamic and immunotherapy.
  7. The diagnostic and prognostic potential of extracellular vesicles as biomarkers for thyroid cancer: a systematic review.
  1. Discov Oncol. 2025 Nov 05. 16(1): 2045
    Role of exosomes in cancer: from diagnosis to therapy.
    Mojgan Esparvarinha, Hamid Nickho, Mohsen Dashti, Majid Ebrahimi Warkiani, Mehdi Yousefi.
      Exosomes are small extracellular vesicles produced by most cell types. They carry specific markers and biomolecular cargo that reflect the characteristics of cancer cells. These vesicles contain oncoproteins, mutated DNA fragments, and cancer-specific RNA profiles, which can serve as biomarkers for tumor detection, disease progression, and treatment resistance analysis. As a non-invasive diagnostic tool, exosome biomarkers can be obtained from liquid biopsies, including blood, urine, and saliva samples. The cargo of exosomes, such as miRNAs and proteins, is often associated with patient prognosis, providing insights into tumor aggressiveness and survival rates, which helps in patient risk assessment. Due to their natural biocompatibility and minimal immune response, exosomes are promising drug delivery vehicles for anticancer treatments, including chemotherapeutic agents and RNA-based therapies. This review highlights the dual role of exosomes in cancer, focusing on their diagnostic and therapeutic potential.
    Keywords:  Cancer; Dendritic cell-derived exosomes; Diagnostic biomarkers; Exosomes; Therapeutic delivery; Tumor-derived exosomes
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1007/s12672-025-03916-y
  2. Cell Cycle. 2025 Nov 08. 1-23
    Exosomes in hepatocellular carcinoma: involvement in reprogramming the tumor microenvironment for immune evasion, metastasis, angiogenesis, and drug resistance.
    Mahsa Ghasemian-Irani, Shabnam Babaei, Tohid Kazemi.
      Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly aggressive liver cancer, and its progression is significantly influenced by the tumor microenvironment (TME). Tumor-derived exosomes (TEXs), an important component of the TME, significantly influence tumor growth by regulating immune responses, facilitating metastasis, and enhancing resistance to therapy. These extracellular vesicles (EVs) transport bioactive substances, such as proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids that promote interaction between cells in the TME. Recent research indicates that HCC-derived exosomes can inhibit immune cell activity, specifically in T cells, thus creating an immunosuppressive TME that facilitates tumor immune escape. They also augment metastatic capability by restructuring the extracellular matrix and promoting angiogenesis. Moreover, HCC-derived exosomes have been associated with developing resistance to drug therapy by transferring molecules such as apoptotic signals and oncogenic microRNAs, circRNAs and lncRNA. Understanding how HCC-derived exosomes affect immune modulation, metastasis, and drug resistance could yield innovative therapeutic targets to enhance therapy outcomes. This review focuses on recent research on the diverse functions of TEXs in HCC progression.
    Keywords:  Hepatocellular carcinoma; drug resistance; exosome; immune modulation; metastasis
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1080/15384101.2025.2583289
  3. Clin Chim Acta. 2025 Nov 04. pii: S0009-8981(25)00578-9. [Epub ahead of print]579 120699
    Exosomes in early detection of urological Cancer.
    Maryam Rahnama, Arezoo Mesri, Navid Ghasemzadeh, Mahdieh Feizi Eliyas Abad, Ahmad Movahedpour, Mortaza Taheri-Anganeh, Hadi Maleki-Kakelar.
      Exosomes are potential biomarkers for liquid biopsy. Liquid biopsy is a minimally invasive technique that utilizes biofluid samples rather than tissue samples for cancer diagnosis. Exosomes are acknowledged as critical small extracellular vesicles released by all types of cells, facilitating intercellular communication in health and playing a role in various physiological and pathological processes by delivering cellular materials such as functional proteins, metabolites, and nucleic acids to recipient cells. Exosomes significantly contribute to the modulation of the tumor microenvironment (TME) through intercellular communication. As key immune stromal cells within the TME, tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) play a vital role in tumor progression by promoting angiogenesis, metastasis, chemoresistance, and immune evasion. Urinary exosomes (uEVs) offer a promising, non-invasive approach for the diagnosis and management of urological cancers. Their molecular contents provide valuable information for early disease detection and monitoring. Urine's accessibility and abundance enhance its suitability as a diagnostic fluid; however, challenges such as the lack of standardized protocols and exosome heterogeneity hinder clinical translation. Advances in microfluidics, biosensors, and AI-driven analytics may help address these limitations. Ultimately, standardization and large-scale validation are essential for integrating urinary exosome-based assays into precision oncology and liquid biopsy frameworks. This review consolidates the knowledge regarding exosomes, which holds considerable significance for advancing research into the clinical diagnosis of urological cancers.
    Keywords:  Biomarker; Diagnosis; Exosomes; Extracellular vesicles; Liquid biopsy
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cca.2025.120699
  4. Biomol Biomed. 2025 Nov 05.
    Exosomes in cancer metabolism and drug resistance: A review.
    Ousman Mohammed, Masresha Ahmed Assaye, Ermiyas Alemayehu, Abdisa Tufa, Solomon Genet.
      The transfer of molecular cargo in exosomes plays a crucial role in cancer progression, influencing metabolic processes, angiogenesis, immune interactions, and invasive capabilities. This review synthesizes current evidence on how exosomes modulate tumor metabolism and drive drug resistance, and outlines therapeutic opportunities. We searched PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar for English-language studies using terms related to exosomes/extracellular vesicles, glycolysis, oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), lipid metabolism, and drug resistance/chemoresistance, and integrated the literature qualitatively. Evidence indicates that exosomes reprogram tumor and stromal metabolism by delivering enzymes and non-coding RNAs that boost glycolysis and dampen OXPHOS, activate cancer-associated fibroblasts and extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling, and modulate ferroptosis. They stimulate angiogenesis (e.g., via vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)/Wnt pathways) and promote immune escape through programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β), and macrophage reprogramming. Exosomal integrins and proteases contribute to epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), organotropism, and pre-metastatic niche formation. Critically, exosomes propagate chemoresistance by exporting drugs and spreading determinants-including P-gp/BCRP/MRP-1, anti-apoptotic proteins, and regulatory RNAs-to previously sensitive cells; adipose-derived vesicles and lipid cargos further reinforce metabolic plasticity and therapy resistance. Given their stability, nanoscale dimensions, and ability to cross the blood-brain barrier, exosomes are promising vectors for targeted delivery; engineered vesicles can enhance chemotherapy responsiveness and counteract resistance, particularly alongside immunotherapy. In summary, interventions that disrupt exosome biogenesis, cargo loading, or uptake-paired with engineered exosomes for precision delivery-could mitigate drug resistance, metastasis, and immune evasion and advance more effective cancer treatment.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.17305/bb.2025.13295
  5. Oncol Res. 2025 ;33(11): 3207-3229
    Exosomal Non-Coding RNAs in Pancreatic Cancer: From Mechanisms to Clinical Applications.
    Chengru Yang, Zhiyu Wang, Shaowu Bi, Xinmiao Zhang, Zhaoqiang Xu, Yifei Ge, Tianjie Zhang, Nan Wang, Yi Xu, Xiangyu Zhong.
      Pancreatic cancer (PC) is an extremely aggressive cancer of the digestive system with insidious onset and the lack of effective biomarkers, resulting in late-stage diagnosis and poor prognosis. Exosomal non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are key mediators of intercellular communication that drive PC initiation and advancement. By modulating gene expression, they impact tumor microenvironment (TME) remodeling, proliferation, migration, apoptosis, and immune evasion. Critically, exosomal ncRNAs serve as promising biomarkers for early diagnosis and prognostic assessment. This review summarizes the current research achievements regarding exosomal ncRNAs in PC, systematically elaborating on their roles in tumor occurrence, metastasis, chemoresistance and the TME. Furthermore, by integrating the potential of exosomal ncRNAs in the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of PC and by highlighting the challenges and future directions, this review aims to offer novel insights for future research and clinical translation of exosomal ncRNAs in PC.
    Keywords:  Exosomes; biomarker; diagnosis; non-coding RNAs; pancreatic cancer; therapy
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.32604/or.2025.066150
  6. Front Immunol. 2025 ;16 1687953
    Smart nanocarriers for cancer: harnessing exosomes and lipid systems in photodynamic and immunotherapy.
    Amrita Swain, Soumya Ranjan Jena, Luna Samanta.
      Cancer remains the leading cause of death worldwide. Despite decades of continuous research, limitations persist in existing therapeutic approaches. Conventional strategies such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, though advanced, face challenges including poor bioavailability, toxic side effects, inadequate targeting of cancer cells, and limited survival benefits. The major issue lies in the inability of improved drug formulations to effectively reach cancer cells. Emerging approaches such as photodynamic therapy (PDT) and immunotherapy have shown greater promise, offering reduced side effects and higher treatment efficiency compared to traditional methods. Various natural and synthetic nanocarriers, including exosomes, liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) and micelles have been explored as drug delivery vehicles in these therapies. Among them, exosomes, being natural secretory vesicles, have shown unique potential as independent delivery systems. However, challenges and limitations remain in their application for precise cancer targeting. A combinational strategy, integrating exosomes with other lipid-based drug delivery systems (LBDDS), while preserving their intrinsic properties and engineering their surface to carry photosensitizers (PS) or immune modulators, could overcome these barriers. Such well-designed natural cargos may enhance therapeutic efficacy, modulate the tumor microenvironment, and address current shortcomings in cancer therapy. This review highlights the individual applications of PDT and immunotherapy using exosomes and LBDDS, and explores their potential synergistic use for more effective and targeted cancer treatment.
    Keywords:  exosomes; immunotherapy and cancer; liposomes; nanocarriers; photodynamic therapy
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1687953
  7. J Mol Med (Berl). 2025 Nov 05.
    The diagnostic and prognostic potential of extracellular vesicles as biomarkers for thyroid cancer: a systematic review.
    Nada Mabrouk Ahmed, Kevin Beatson, Jigisha Patel, Mohammad Mahmoud Rajab Eddama, Lucie H Clapp, Tarek Abdel-Aziz.
      The incidence of thyroid cancer, the most common endocrine malignancy, has increased by 313% in the past four decades and is now the seventh most common cancer worldwide. There is an urgent need for non-invasive diagnostic, prognostic, and surveillance biomarkers to improve patient outcomes. Given the promising role of extracellular vesicles (EVs) as liquid biopsy biomarkers, a systematic review of the literature was conducted to evaluate their diagnostic and prognostic utility in thyroid cancer. We also assessed the quality of included studies giving special emphasis to methodology, reporting standards, and adherence to MISEV2018 guidelines. A comprehensive search was conducted across Web of Science, Ovid Medline, Ovid Embase, Scopus, and Emcare for English-language studies published from inception to March 2025. Search terms included a combination of relevant keywords and subject Headings. A total of 40 studies met the inclusion criteria. Most focused on papillary thyroid carcinoma, with relatively a minority investigating follicular thyroid carcinoma. The majority examined small EVs (exosomes), with microRNAs (miRNAs) being the most studied EV biomarkers, followed by proteins, circular RNAs, long non-coding RNAs, mRNAs, DNA, procoagulant phospholipids, and biophysical characteristics. No studies investigated EV lipids or metabolites as potential thyroid cancer biomarkers. This systematic review highlights the strong potential of EVs as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in thyroid cancer. However, larger prospective patient cohorts are needed to validate current findings. Clinical translation will require standardised methodologies and robust comprehensive reporting aligned with MISEV2018 guidelines, enhancing reproducibility and paving the way for multicentre clinical trials.
    Keywords:  Biomarkers; Diagnosis; Exosomes; Extracellular vesicles; MiRNA; Thyroid cancer
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1007/s00109-025-02594-1
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