bims-exocan 2026-06-28 papers

Issue of 2026–06–28
four papers selected by
Muhammad Rizwan, COMSATS University

Int J Nanomedicine. 2026 ;21 606735

Exosomes in Ovarian Cancer: Promoters, Biomarkers, and Therapeutic Targets.

Fengyi Wang, Haiyan Dong, Yuli Song, Yi Zhang.

Ovarian cancer is an aggressive malignancy treated primarily with surgery and platinum-based chemotherapy. The high recurrence rate and platinum resistance are the primary reasons for poor prognosis in ovarian cancer. Early screening can improve patient survival, but there are currently no high-precision biomarkers available. Exosomes are nanoscale vesicles that mediate intercellular communication by transferring bioactive molecules, and their composition reflects pathological states. Late diagnosis is the primary cause of poor prognosis in patients with ovarian cancer. Owing to the high stability conferred by their unique structure, exosomes can serve as an efficient, non-invasive approach for early screening. In the context of drug delivery, engineered exosomes using novel advanced technologies can enhance the specificity of clinical pharmacotherapy and reduce adverse toxic reactions. This review summarizes the latest research findings on ovarian cancer-related exosomes and introduces their important roles in exploring the mechanisms of ovarian cancer progression, metastasis, and chemoresistance, as well as their potential as prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

Keywords: biomarker; cancer metastasis; chemoresistance; engineered exosomes; exosomes; extracellular vesicles; ovarian cancer

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2147/IJN.S606735

J Cancer. 2026 ;17(6): 1206-1219

Exosomes in Cancer Biology: Emerging Biomarkers and Therapeutic Targets.

Marriam Ahmed, Chieh-Wei Chang, Sundas Ijaz, Abdul Qadeer, Khalid J Alzahrani, Khalaf F Alsharif, Fuad M Alzahrani, Abdulwahab Abuderman, Chien-Chin Chen, Shahid Hussain.

Exosomes are small extracellular vesicles (EVs) that play an important role in intercellular communication among multiple cell types. In recent years, they have emerged as a novel and promising class of cancer biomarkers, offering significant potential to increase diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. These bilayer nano-vesicles are actively secreted by living cells into various biological fluids and carry a diverse cargo of proteins, nucleic acids, and other biomolecules that reflect the physiological and pathological state of their cells of origin. The molecular composition of exosomes mirrors the dynamic processes and unique cargo of molecular and genetic data, reflecting the complex activities within cancer cells, making them a promising alternative for cancer detection and treatment monitoring. Although the mechanisms underlying exosome biogenesis, secretion, and cargo selection in cancer remain incompletely understood, growing evidence highlights their importance in tumor progression and therapeutic response. Exosomal proteins have gained considerable attention as potential therapeutic targets. These proteins can regulate immune responses, reshape the tumor microenvironment, and influence cancer cell proliferation and survival. Consequently, targeting exosome-associated proteins represents a promising strategy for developing innovative anticancer therapies. Advances in exosomal protein analysis have provided a promising approach for unraveling the complex molecular networks underlying cancer biology. A wide range of analytical techniques is available to identify and quantify exosomal proteins, enabling characterization of cancer-specific molecular signatures. As an expanding field in cancer research, exosomes have the potential to revolutionize both therapies and diagnostics. By deciphering the diverse molecular and functional cargos of exosomes, exosomes offer new insights that may lead to more precise, effective, and personalized approaches to cancer management.

Keywords: angiogenesis; annexins; biomarker; cell-to-cell communication; microvesicles

DOI: https://doi.org/10.7150/jca.132498

Cancers (Basel). 2026 Jun 11. pii: 1903. [Epub ahead of print]18(12):

Small Extracellular Vesicle-Associated microRNA in Cancer: Biology and Applications in Translational Research and Precision Oncology.

Konstantinos Karamouzis, Ioannis Kollias, Maria Trapali, Maria Papatsirou, Maria Gavriatopoulou, Ioannis Ntanasis-Stathopoulos.

Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) are extracellular vesicles that mediate intercellular communication through the transfer of bioactive molecules, including proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. Among their cargo, microRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as critical regulators of gene expression with significant implications in cancer biology. Tumor-derived extracellular vesicle-associated microRNAs (EV-miRNAs) can reprogram recipient cells, promoting oncogenesis, metastasis, angiogenesis, and therapeutic resistance. This review provides a comprehensive overview of EV-miRNAs in cancer, examining their biogenesis, mechanisms of intercellular transfer, and functional roles in tumor progression. We discuss the clinical potential of EV-miRNAs as non-invasive biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and prognosis, as well as their emerging applications in targeted therapeutic strategies. Furthermore, we address current challenges related to isolation techniques, quantification methods, and standardization protocols that hinder clinical translation. Finally, we outline future directions for integrating EV-miRNA analysis into precision oncology frameworks and liquid biopsy platforms, highlighting opportunities to advance personalized cancer care.

Keywords: cancer; diagnosis; exosomes; extracellular vesicle-associated micro-RNAs (EV-miRNAs); liquid biopsy; miRNA; personalized medicine; prognosis; small extracellular vesicles (sEVs); treatment

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers18121903

Biomolecules. 2026 Jun 18. pii: 906. [Epub ahead of print]16(6):

Exosomal circ_0050688 Shapes a Chemoresistant Microenvironment by Driving Spatial Resistance Spreading in Glioblastoma via the MDM2 Pathway.

Qiang Li, Jianglong Xu, Yuhao Zhang, Junbing Qian, Diana Bee-Lan Ong, Kein Seong Mun, Yiping Tang, Xiuchao Geng, Kean Chang Phang.

Background: Acquired tolerance to temozolomide (TMZ) remains one of the main obstacles to enduring therapeutic success in glioblastoma (GBM). While tumor-derived extracellular vesicles are known to orchestrate therapy evasion by horizontally transferring molecules across the tumor microenvironment, the precise regulatory roles of specific exosomal circular RNAs (circRNAs) in establishing this refractory state require further elucidation. Methods: The expression of circ_0050688 in TMZ-resistant GBM clinical tissues and cell lines was evaluated. Exosomes derived from resistant cells were isolated and confirmed via transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and marker analysis. PKH67 fluorescent tracking was utilized to visually demonstrate exosome internalization by sensitive recipient cells. Biological functions, including the expression of the multidrug resistance protein P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and the proliferation marker Ki-67, were evaluated. The competing endogenous RNA mechanism was validated using RNA FISH, dual-luciferase reporters, and functional rescue experiments. In vivo efficacy was determined using subcutaneous xenograft mouse models. Results: Clinical and in vitro analyses revealed that circ_0050688 is upregulated in TMZ-refractory GBM, predicting adverse patient survival. Through PKH67-based tracing, we confirmed that resistant cells actively secrete circ_0050688-enriched exosomes, which are subsequently engulfed by drug-sensitive bystander cells. This vesicular transfer directly instigates a chemoresistant and highly proliferative phenotype, marked by elevated P-gp and Ki-67 levels. At the molecular level, circ_0050688 operates as a molecular decoy for miR-508-5p, thereby preventing the suppression of its downstream target, MDM2. Functionally, circ_0050688 depletion eradicated these aggressive traits and restored TMZ vulnerability across both cellular and murine xenograft models. Furthermore, rescue assays confirmed that this circ_0050688-driven chemoresistance is fundamentally dependent on the miR-508-5p/MDM2 signaling axis. Conclusions: Current data uncover an intercellular signaling network driven by vesicular circ_0050688, which functions as a mobile oncogene to reshape the TMZ-refractory microenvironment. Targeting this exosomal circ_0050688/miR-508-5p/MDM2 network to suppress P-gp and Ki-67 expression represents a highly promising therapeutic strategy for refractory GBM.

Keywords: MDM2; acquired chemoresistance; circ_0050688; exosomes; glioblastoma

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/biom16060906