Background: Exosomes are extracellular vesicles that can be released by practically all types of cells. They have a diameter of 30-150 nm. Exosomes control the exchange of materials and information between cells. This function is based on its special cargo-carrying and transporting functions, which can load a variety of useful components and guarantee their preservation. Recently, exosomes have been confirmed to play a significant role in the pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of gynaecological malignancies. Particularly, participation in liquid biopsy was studied extensively in gynaecological cancer, which holds the advantages of noninvasiveness and individualization.
Literature review: This article reviews the latest research progress of exosomes in gynaecological malignancies and discusses the involvement of humoral and cell-derived exosomes in the pathogenesis, progression, metastasis, drug resistance and treatment of ovarian cancer, cervical cancer, and endometrial cancer. Advances in the clinical application of exosomes in diagnostic technology, drug delivery, and overcoming tumour resistance are also presented.
Conclusion: Exosomes are potentially diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in gynaecological malignancies, and also provide new directions for the treatment of gynaecological tumours, showing great clinical potential.
Keywords: advances; diagnostic markers; drug delivery; exosomes; gynaecological malignancies.