Chapters authored
Exosomes in Cancer Diagnosis and Radiation Therapy
Exosomes are a subgroup of extracellular vesicles that are released by all types of cells, including tumor cells, and mediate intercellular communication via the transport of various intracellular components, including microRNAs, messenger RNAs, and proteins. Radiation produces reactive oxygen species and induces DNA double-strand break in cancer cells and normal cells. Cancer cells have severe damage and die by irradiation, but normal cells can keep proliferation with their high DNA repair ability. Irradiated cells generate communication signals and cause biological changes in neighboring or distant non-irradiated cells. This review outlines the role of exosomes in radiation therapy. In the tumor microenvironment, exosomes are considered to regulate cell survival, migration, and resistance to therapy by interacting with vascular endothelial cells and various types of immune cells. Nowadays, radiation therapy is typically combined with immunotherapy. Regulation of the activity of exosomes may overcome the problem of resistance to immunotherapy. Furthermore, exosomes can attenuate resistance to chemotherapy by transporting certain types of microRNA. The current evidence suggests that exosomes may be useful in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer in the future.
Part of the book: Extracellular Vesicles