The Role of Exosomes in the Female Reproductive System and Breast Cancers

Onco Targets Ther. 2020 Dec 8:13:12567-12586. doi: 10.2147/OTT.S281909. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

Exosomes are nanoscale extracellular vesicles released by nearly all cell types. Exosomes were originally considered as waste receptacles for discarding unwanted cellular products; however, these organelles are now considered to be important for cell communication by delivering biologically active molecules such as proteins, DNA, non-coding RNA and mRNA. Studies have revealed that exosomes are closely related to several diseases, especially cancers. Exosomes are indispensable for the emergence and progression of tumor. Here, we review the status of research on exosomes in the female reproductive system cancers and breast cancer, focusing on their biological roles in chemical resistance and immune responses, as well as their underlying applications in drug delivery and nanotherapy and as biological markers for tumor diagnosis.

Keywords: biomarker; cancer; exosome; microRNA; nanotherapy.

Publication types

  • Review

Grants and funding

This study was funded by Jilin Province Financial and Health Project(Research on the Differential Expression of Cyclic RNA in Cervical Cancer HeLa Cells and the Mechanism of Radiation Resistance under Radiation Induction); Jilin Provincial Department of Finance (Consortium of Medical Consortium for Diagnosis and Treatment of Difficult Women’s Tumors and Precision Radiotherapy Training Base Construction project); Jilin Province Medical and Health Talent Special Project (2019SCZT010).The funders had no role in study design, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.