Malignant tumors seriously affect people's survival and prognosis. Exosomes, as vesicle structures widely existing in human tissues and body fluids, are involved in cell-to-cell transmission. Tumor-derived exosomes were secreted from tumors and involved in the development of carcinogenesis. Circular RNA (circRNA), a novel member of endogenous noncoding RNAs, is widespread in human and play a vital role in many physiological or pathological processes. Tumor-driven exosomal circRNAs are often involved in tumorigenesis and development including the proliferation, invasion, migration and chemo-or-radiotherapy sensitivity of tumor cell by multiple regulatory mechanisms. In this review, we will elaborate the roles and functions of tumor-driven exosomal circRNAs in cancers which may be used as potential cancer biomarkers and novel therapeutic targets.
Keywords: cancer; clinical application; exosomal circRNAs; mechanisms; tumor-driven exosomes.
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