bims-exocan 2026-01-11 papers

Issue of 2026–01–11
four papers selected by
Muhammad Rizwan, COMSATS University

Oncol Res. 2025 ;34(1): 2

The Role of Exosomes as a Key Factor of Cytostatic Resistance in Cancer: Mechanisms of Action, Potential Biomarkers, and Possible Exosome-Based Therapies.

Sandra Kałużna, Monika Świerczewska, Sylwia Ciesiółka, Małgorzata Partyka, Michał Nowicki, Karolina Wojtowicz.

The last research focuses on the role of exosomes in cancer treatment. Exosomes are extracellular vesicles. They can be secreted by cancer cells, and they can modulate chemotherapy sensitivity. Determining exosomal content opens the possibility for guiding treatment strategies for cancer diseases. Exosomal microRNA are considered one of the prime candidates for exosomal biomarkers. Exosomal circular RNAs represent excellent biomarkers for liquid biopsy because of their stability in many types of cancer. Exosomal proteins remain reliable biomarkers also. Exosomes have emerged as promising therapeutic candidates. Their biological properties render them ideal vectors for drug delivery. Genetic modification of exosomes is an effective way to deliver material capable of modulating cellular pathways involved in drug resistance. Furthermore, exosomes have been explored as carriers for metal-chelating agents. Integrating exosome-based therapies with traditional anticancer agents aims to exploit the natural targeting abilities of exosomes to enhance drug delivery. Despite the dynamic development of this field, many mechanisms of exosome action remain incompletely understood. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct further studies that will allow for a better understanding of their role in the process of resistance and will enable the development of effective therapeutic strategies.

Keywords: Exosomes; cancer; drug resistance

DOI: https://doi.org/10.32604/or.2025.070356

Int J Nanomedicine. 2025 ;20 15997-16025

Small Extracellular Vesicles: Unraveling Their Roles in Ovarian Cancer Progression and Tapping Into Clinical Application Potential.

Yuan Zhou, Danni Ding, Fangyuan Liu, Fengjuan Han.

Among gynecologic malignancies, ovarian cancer (OC) stands out as a highly aggressive disease with the highest mortality rate and the poorest prognosis. At the beginning stage, it demonstrates high sensitivity to platinum-based chemotherapy. Nevertheless, most patients will encounter recurrence following the initial surgery and chemotherapy. Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs), characterized by a "cup-shaped" morphology and with a diameter of 40 to 160 nm, encompass diverse biologically active substances including nucleic acids (such as DNA, mRNA, microRNA (miRNA), and other non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs)), as well as oncogenic proteins, lipids, and metabolites, which play a crucial role as mediators of intercellular communication. Increasing evidence shows that sEVs promote various cancers' progression (including OC) via transporting molecular cargoes to target cells or organs. It is worth mentioning that existing literature often focuses on sEVs from a single cell type and lacks a comprehensive review of multiple cell sources. In this review, we summarize the biological functions of sEVs derived from different cell types in OC, including regulating cell proliferation, promoting metastasis, mediating drug resistance, inducing angiogenesis, facilitating immune escape, and maintaining stemness. Meanwhile, we focus on exploring the clinical value of sEVs as biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of OC, as well as their application potential in translational medicine fields related to cancer vaccine development, targeted drug delivery, and precision tumor-targeted therapy. Additionally, we analyze the major challenges currently faced in sEV-based OC treatment research and propose potential strategies to overcome these limitations.

Keywords: biological functions; biomarker; ovarian cancer; small extracellular vesicles; therapeutic research

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2147/IJN.S570068

Cells. 2025 Dec 31. pii: 70. [Epub ahead of print]15(1):

From CAR-T Cells to Exosome-Based Immunotherapy: Exploring the Frontiers of Cell-Free Targeted Cancer Therapeutics.

Alexandru Tîrziu, Florina Maria Bojin, Oana Isabella Gavriliuc, Cosmin Ioan Faur, Virgil Păunescu.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) cell therapies have revolutionized cancer immunotherapy by enabling targeted and potent antitumor immune responses. However, clinical challenges such as limited efficacy in solid tumors, severe toxicities including cytokine release syndrome (CRS), and manufacturing complexities restrict their broader use. Recently, CAR cell-derived exosomes (CAR-Exos) have emerged as promising cell-free therapeutic alternatives that retain the key antitumor functionalities of their parent cells while potentially overcoming the limitations of live cellular therapies. These nanoscale vesicles can deliver bioactive CAR molecules, cytotoxic proteins, and immunomodulatory cargo, enabling targeted tumor cell killing with reduced systemic toxicity and offering "off-the-shelf" applicability. This review comprehensively explores the biology, engineering, and therapeutic potential of CAR-Exos derived from T cells, natural killer (NK) cells, and other immune effectors. We discuss advances in isolation, characterization, and cargo profiling techniques, as well as preclinical and early clinical data supporting their application. Further, we address translational challenges including large-scale production, biodistribution, and immune evasion in tumor microenvironments. Combining cellular and exosomal CAR platforms holds promise to enhance efficacy and safety in cancer treatment, representing a frontier in targeted immunotherapy.

Keywords: CAR-NK cells; CAR-T cell therapy; cancer immunotherapy; cell-free therapeutics; exosome-based immunotherapy; extracellular vesicles; tumor microenvironment

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/cells15010070

Cell Death Discov. 2026 Jan 08. 12(1): 7

Exosome-transmitted long noncoding RNA SNHG1 promotes prostate cancer bone metastasis via YBX1/MMP16 axis.

Taowei Yang, Junqi Luo, Zining Long, Jun Wu, Wenbin Chen, Xumin Zhou, Libin Zou, Shengren Cen, Chuanfan Zhong, Jianming Lu, Pengxiang Zheng, Anyang Wei, Daojun Lv, Xiangming Mao.

Prostate cancer (PCa) patients with bone metastasis commonly exhibit osteoblastic-type and have an extremely poor prognosis. Exosomes derived from tumor cells possess biological significance and can mediate intercellular communication in the tumor microenvironment. Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) small nucleolar RNA host gene 1 (SNHG1) is implicated in tumorigenesis and the development of PCa, but the precise roles of SNHG1 in the regulation of bone homeostasis remain elusive. Herein, we aimed to investigate the underlying mechanisms by which exosomes-encapsulated SNHG1 affects the bone metastasis of PCa. Our findings revealed that SNHG1 was overexpressed in PCa tissues, highly enriched in PCa cell-derived exosomes, and positively correlated with bone metastasis. Besides, SNHG1 shuttled by PCa-derived exosomes could be transferred into osteoblast cells, where SNHG1 exerted inductive properties in osteogenic differentiation. Gain- and loss-of-functional experiments demonstrated that exosomal SNHG1 facilitated the activity of alkaline phosphatase and mineralization of extracellular matrix. Moreover, in vivo experimentation showed that knockdown of exosomal SNHG1 suppressed bone metastasis of PCa cells. Mechanistic investigations revealed that exosomal SNHG1, transmitted to osteoblast cells, physically binds to YBX1 and leads to the shift of YBX1 into the nucleus, then enhances MMP16 transcription and increases the amount of protein translation, ultimately resulting in PCa bone metastasis. In conclusion, our data highlight that PCa-derived exosomes-loaded SNHG1 mediated osteogenesis through the SNHG1/YBX1/MMP16 axis. SNHG1 may serve as a potential diagnostic marker and therapeutic target for bone metastasis in PCa.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41420-025-02855-5