The Role of Exosomes in Thyroid Cancer and Their Potential Clinical Application

Kaixiang Feng; Runsheng Ma; Lele Zhang; Hongqiang Li; Yifeng Tang; Gongbo Du; Dongpeng Niu; Detao Yin

doi:10.3389/fonc.2020.596132

The Role of Exosomes in Thyroid Cancer and Their Potential Clinical Application

Front Oncol. 2020 Dec 1:10:596132. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2020.596132. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Kaixiang Feng^{1

2

3}, Runsheng Ma^{1

2

3}, Lele Zhang^{1

2}, Hongqiang Li^{1

2}, Yifeng Tang^{1

2}, Gongbo Du^{1

2

3}, Dongpeng Niu^{1

2

3}, Detao Yin^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Thyroid Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.
² Department of Thyroid Surgery, Key Discipline Laboratory of Clinical Medicine of Henan, Zhengzhou, China.
³ Academy of Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.

Abstract

The incidence of thyroid cancer (TC) is rapidly increasing worldwide. The diagnostic accuracy and dynamics of TC need to be improved, and traditional treatments are not effective enough for patients with poorly differentiated thyroid cancer. Exosomes are membrane vesicles secreted specifically by various cells and are involved in intercellular communication. Recent studies have shown that exosomes secreted by TC cells contribute to tumor progression, angiogenesis and metastasis. Exosomes in liquid biopsies can reflect the overall molecular information of tumors, and have natural advantages in diagnosing TC. Exosomes also play an important role in tumor therapy due to their special physicochemical properties. TC patients will benefit as more exosome patterns are discovered. In this review, we discuss the role of TC-derived exosomes in tumorigenesis and development, and describe the application of exosomes in the diagnosis and treatment of TC.

Keywords: biomarker; exosome; extracellular vesicles; oncology treatment; thyroid cancer.

Publication types

Review