Title:Role of Exosomes in Breast Cancer Management: Evidence-Based Review
Volume: 21
Issue: 8
Author(s): Razan B. Al-Humaidi, Bahgat Fayed, Suleiman I. Sharif, Ayman Noreddin and Sameh S.M. Soliman*
Affiliation:
- Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, P.O. Box 27272, Sharjah,United Arab Emirates
Keywords:
Exosomes, breast cancer, therapy, biomarkers, diagnosis, vaccine.
Abstract: The field of cancer research has massively grown in recent decades, leading to a better
understanding of the underlying causes and greatly improving the therapeutic approaches. Breast
cancer (BC) is the third leading cause of mortality among all cancers and the most common malignant
disease in women worldwide, representing one in four of all cancers in women. The crosstalk
between cancer cells and the surrounding microenvironment is crucial for tumor progression and
metastatic process. Tumor cells communicate not only through classical paracrine signaling mechanisms,
including cytokines, chemokines, growth factors, but also through “exosomes”. Exosomes
are nano-vesicles that are released by various types of cells. Over the last decade, researchers have
been attracted by the role of exosomes in breast cancer. It has been proven that exosomes influence
major tumor-related pathways, including invasion, migration, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition
(EMT), metastasis, and drug resistance. Additionally, exosomes play important roles in clinical applications.
Several studies have demonstrated the potential applications of exosomes in cancer therapy
and diagnosis. Furthermore, exosomes have been engineered to function as nano-delivery systems
of chemotherapeutic drugs. They can also be designed as vaccines to trigger the patient’s immune
system. This review discusses the recent progress regarding the use of exosomes as drug delivery
systems, therapeutic agents, biomarkers, and vaccines against breast cancer.