Clinical significance of small extracellular vesicles in cholangiocarcinoma

Front Oncol. 2024 Apr 11:14:1334592. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1334592. eCollection 2024.

Abstract

Cholangiocarcinoma is an aggressive and heterogeneous malignancy originating from the bile duct epithelium. It is associated with poor prognosis and high mortality. The global incidence of cholangiocarcinoma is rising, and there is an urgent need for effective early diagnosis and treatment strategies to reduce the burden of this devastating tumor. Small extracellular vesicles, including exosomes and microparticles, are nanoscale vesicles formed by membranes that are released both normally and pathologically from cells, mediating the intercellular transfer of substances and information. Recent studies have demonstrated the involvement of small extracellular vesicles in numerous biological processes, as well as the proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of tumor cells. The present review summarizes the tumorigenic roles of small extracellular vesicles in the cholangiocarcinoma microenvironment. Owing to their unique composition, accessibility, and stability in biological fluids, small extracellular vesicles have emerged as ideal biomarkers for use in liquid biopsies for diagnosing and outcome prediction of cholangiocarcinoma. Specific tissue tropism, theoretical biocompatibility, low clearance, and strong biological barrier penetration of small extracellular vesicles make them suitable drug carriers for cancer therapy. Furthermore, the potential value of small extracellular vesicle-based therapies for cholangiocarcinoma is also reviewed.

Keywords: biomarker; cholangiocarcinoma; exosome; extracellular vesicles; liquid biopsy; microparticle.

Publication types

  • Review

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This study was supported by Incubation Project of Mianyang Central Hospital (Grant No.2022FH010, 2023FH002), and NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Technology Medical Transformation (Mianyang Central Hospital) (Grant No.2023HYX032).