Decreased exosome-delivered miR-486-5p is responsible for the peritoneal metastasis of gastric cancer cells by promoting EMT progress

Circular RNAs in EMT-driven metastasis regulation: modulation of cancer cell plasticity, tumorigenesis and therapy resistance

The non-coding RNAs comprise a large part of human genome lack of capacity in encoding functional proteins. Among various members of non-coding RNAs, the circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been of importance in the pathogenesis of human diseases, especially cancer. The circRNAs have a unique closed loop structure and due to their stability, they are potential diagnostic and prognostic factors in cancer. The increasing evidences have highlighted the role of circRNAs in the modulation of proliferation and metastasis of cancer cells. On the other hand, metastasis has been responsible for up to 90% of cancer-related deaths in patients, requiring more investigation regarding the underlying mechanisms modulating this mechanism. EMT enhances metastasis and invasion of tumor cells, and can trigger resistance to therapy. The cells demonstrate dynamic changes during EMT including transformation from epithelial phenotype into mesenchymal phenotype and increase in N-cadherin and vimentin levels. The process of EMT is reversible and its reprogramming can disrupt the progression of tumor cells. The aim of current review is to understanding the interaction of circRNAs and EMT in human cancers and such interaction is beyond the regulation of cancer metastasis and can affect the response of tumor cells to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The onco-suppressor circRNAs inhibit EMT, while the tumor-promoting circRNAs mediate EMT for acceleration of carcinogenesis. Moreover, the EMT-inducing transcription factors can be controlled by circRNAs in different human tumors.

Customizing EV-CATCHER to Purify Placental Extracellular Vesicles from Maternal Plasma to Detect Placental Pathologies

Placenta Accreta Spectrum (PAS) is a life-threatening condition in which placental trophoblastic cells abnormally invade the uterus, often up to the uterine serosa and, in extreme cases, tissues beyond the uterine wall. Currently, there is no clinical assay for the non-invasive detection of PAS, and only ultrasound and MRI can be used for its diagnosis. Considering the subjectivity of visual assessment, the detection of PAS necessitates a high degree of expertise and, in some instances, can lead to its misdiagnosis. In clinical practice, up to 50% of pregnancies with PAS remain undiagnosed until delivery, and it is associated with increased risk of morbidity/mortality. Although many studies have evaluated the potential of fetal biomarkers circulating in maternal blood, very few studies have evaluated the potential of circulating placental extracellular vesicles (EVs) and their miRNA contents for molecular detection of PAS. Thus, to purify placental EVs from maternal blood, we customized our robust ultra-sensitive immuno-purification assay, termed EV-CATCHER, with a monoclonal antibody targeting the membrane Placental Alkaline Phosphatase (PLAP) protein, which is unique to the placenta and present on the surface of placental EVs. Then, as a pilot evaluation, we compared the miRNA expression profiles of placental EVs purified from the maternal plasma of women diagnosed with placenta previa (controls, n = 16); placenta lying low in uterus but not invasive) to those of placental EVs purified from the plasma of women with placenta percreta (cases, n = 16), PAS with the highest level of invasiveness. Our analyses reveal that miRNA profiling of PLAP+ EVs purified from maternal plasma identified 40 differentially expressed miRNAs when comparing these two placental pathologies. Preliminary miRNA pathway enrichment and gene ontology analysis of the top 14 upregulated and top nine downregulated miRNAs in PLAP+ EVs, purified from the plasma of women diagnosed with placenta percreta versus those diagnosed with placenta previa, suggests a potential role in control of cellular invasion and motility that will require further investigation.

Cancer-derived exosomes as novel biomarkers in metastatic gastrointestinal cancer

Gastrointestinal cancer (GIC) is the most prevalent and highly metastatic malignant tumor and has a significant impact on mortality rates. Nevertheless, the swift advancement of contemporary technology has not seamlessly aligned with the evolution of detection methodologies, resulting in a deficit of innovative and efficient clinical assays for GIC. Given that exosomes are preferentially released by a myriad of cellular entities, predominantly originating from neoplastic cells, this confers exosomes with a composition enriched in cancer-specific constituents. Furthermore, exosomes exhibit ubiquitous presence across diverse biological fluids, endowing them with the inherent advantages of non-invasiveness, real-time monitoring, and tumor specificity. The unparalleled advantages inherent in exosomes render them as an ideal liquid biopsy biomarker for early diagnosis, prognosticating the potential development of GIC metastasis.In this review, we summarized the latest research progress and possible potential targets on cancer-derived exosomes (CDEs) in GIC with an emphasis on the mechanisms of exosome promoting cancer metastasis, highlighting the potential roles of CDEs as the biomarker and treatment in metastatic GIC.

Alpha-hederin reprograms multi-miRNAs activity and overcome small extracellular vesicles-mediated paclitaxel resistance in NSCLC

Background: Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) mediate intercellular communication in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and contribute to the malignant transformation of tumors, including unrestricted growth, metastasis, or therapeutic resistance. However, there is a lack of agents targeting sEVs to overcome or reverse tumor chemotherapy resistance through sEVs-mediated TME reprogramming. Methods: The paclitaxel (PTX)-resistant A549T cell line was used to explore the inhibitory effect of alpha-hederin on impeding the transmission of chemoresistance in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) through the small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) pathway. This investigation utilized the CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry. Transcriptomics, Western blot, oil red O staining, and targeted metabolomics were utilized to evaluate the impact of alpha-hederin on the expression of signaling pathways associated with chemoresistance transmission in NSCLC cells before and after treatment. In vivo molecular imaging and immunohistochemistry were conducted to assess how alpha-hederin influences the transmission of chemoresistance through the sEVs pathway. RT-PCR was employed to examine the expression of miRNA and lncRNA in response to alpha-hederin treatment. Results: The resistance to PTX chemotherapy in A549T cells was overcome by alpha-hederin through its dependence on sEV secretion. However, the effectiveness of alpha-hederin was compromised when vesicle secretion was blocked by the GW4869 inhibitor. Transcriptomic analysis for 463 upregulated genes in recipient cells exposed to A549T-derived sEVs revealed that these sEVs enhanced TGFβ signaling and unsaturated fatty acid synthesis pathways. Alpha-hederin inhibited 15 types of unsaturated fatty acid synthesis by reducing the signaling activity of the sEVs-mediated TGFβ/SMAD2 pathway. Further, we observed that alpha-hederin promoted the production of three microRNAs (miRNAs, including miR-21-5p, miR-23a-3p, and miR-125b-5p) and the sorting to sEVs in A549T cells. These miRNAs targeted the TGFβ/SMADs signaling activity in sEVs-recipient cells and sensitized them to the PTX therapy. Conclusion: Our finding demonstrated that alpha-hederin could sensitize PTX-resistant NSCLC cells by sEV-mediated multiple miRNAs accumulation, and inhibiting TGFβ/SMAD2 pathways in recipient cells.

The biological role of extracellular vesicles in gastric cancer metastasis

Gastric cancer (GC) is a tumor characterized by high incidence and mortality, with metastasis being the primary cause of poor prognosis. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are an important intercellular communication medium. They contain bioactive substances such as proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids. EVs play a crucial biological role in the process of GC metastasis. Through mechanisms such as remodeling the tumor microenvironment (TME), immune suppression, promoting angiogenesis, and facilitating epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and mesothelial-mesenchymal transition (MMT), EVs promote invasion and metastasis in GC. Further exploration of the biological roles of EVs will contribute to our understanding of the mechanisms underlying GC metastasis and may provide novel targets and strategies for the diagnosis and treatment of GC. In this review, we summarize the mechanisms by which EVs influence GC metastasis from four aspects: remodeling the TME, modulating the immune system, influencing angiogenesis, and modulating the processes of EMT and MMT. Finally, we briefly summarized the organotropism of GC metastasis as well as the potential and limitations of EVs in GC.

Exosomes and cancer immunotherapy: A review of recent cancer research

As phospholipid extracellular vesicles (EVs) secreted by various cells, exosomes contain non-coding RNA (ncRNA), mRNA, DNA fragments, lipids, and proteins, which are essential for intercellular communication. Several types of cells can secrete exosomes that contribute to cancer initiation and progression. Cancer cells and the immune microenvironment interact and restrict each other. Tumor-derived exosomes (TDEs) have become essential players in this balance because they carry information from the original cancer cells and express complexes of MHC class I/II epitopes and costimulatory molecules. In the present study, we aimed to identify potential targets for exosome therapy by examining the specific expression and mechanism of exosomes derived from cancer cells. We introduced TDEs and explored their role in different tumor immune microenvironment (TIME), with a particular emphasis on gastrointestinal cancers, before briefly describing the therapeutic strategies of exosomes in cancer immune-related therapy.

A review on the role of cyclin dependent kinases in cancers

The Cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) class of serine/threonine kinases has crucial roles in the regulation of cell cycle transition and is mainly involved in the pathogenesis of cancers. The expression of CDKs is controlled by a complex regulatory network comprised of genetic and epigenetic mechanisms, which are dysregulated during the progression of cancer. The abnormal activation of CDKs results in uncontrolled cancer cell proliferation and the induction of cancer stem cell characteristics. The levels of CDKs can be utilized to predict the prognosis and treatment response of cancer patients, and further understanding of the function and underlying mechanisms of CDKs in human tumors would pave the way for future cancer therapies that effectively target CDKs. Defects in the regulation of cell cycle and mutations in the genes coding cell-cycle regulatory proteins lead to unrestrained proliferation of cells leading to formation of tumors. A number of treatment modalities have been designed to combat dysregulation of cell cycle through affecting expression or activity of CDKs. However, effective application of these methods in the clinical settings requires recognition of the role of CDKs in the progression of each type of cancer, their partners, their interactions with signaling pathways and the effects of suppression of these kinases on malignant features. Thus, we designed this literature search to summarize these findings at cellular level, as well as in vivo and clinical levels.