Pathological and therapeutic significance of tumor-derived extracellular vesicles in cancer cell migration and metastasis

Liguori, Giovanna L. (author), Kralj-Iglič, Veronika (author)

The infiltration of primary tumors and metastasis formation at distant sites strongly impact the prognosis and the quality of life of cancer patients. Current therapies including surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy are limited in targeting the complex cell migration mechanisms responsible for cancer cell invasiveness and metastasis. A better understanding of these mechanisms and the development of new therapies are urgently needed. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are lipid enveloped particles involved in inter-tissue and inter-cell communication. This review article focuses on the impact of EVs released by tumor cells, specifically on cancer cell migration and metastasis. We first introduce cell migration processes and EV subtypes, and we give an overview of how tumor derived EVs (TDEVs) may impact cancer cell migration. Then, we discuss ongoing EV-based cancer therapeutic approaches, including the inhibition of general EV-related mechanisms as well as the use of EVs for anti-cancer drug delivery, focusing on the harnessing of TDEVs. We propose a protein-EV shuttle as a route alternative to secretion or cell membrane binding, influencing downstream signaling and the final effect on target cells, with strong implications in tumorigenesis. Finally, we highlight the pitfalls and limitations of therapeutic EV exploitation that must be overcome to realize the promise of EVs for cancer therapy.

• Language: English
• Keywords: extracellular vesicles, tumor-derived extracellular vesicles, cancer cell migration, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, tumor metastasis, cancer therapy, alternative signaling routes, drug delivery, extracellular vesicle exploitation, quality control
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.02 - Review Article
• Organization: ZF - Faculty of Health Sciences
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Publication date: 05.09.2023
• Year: 2023
• Number of pages: 23 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 15, iss.18, art. 4425
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-149870
• UDC: 577:616-006
• ISSN on article: 2072-6694
• DOI: 10.3390/cancers15184425
• COBISS.SI-ID: 163943939
• Publication date in RUL: 11.09.2023

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Cancers
• Shortened title: Cancers
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 2072-6694
• COBISS.SI-ID: 517914137

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.
• Licensing start date: 05.09.2023