Exosomes: Composition, Biogenesis, and Mechanisms in Cancer Metastasis and Drug Resistance
Overview
Oncology
Authors
Affiliations
Tumor-derived exosomes (TDEs) participate in formation and progression of different cancer processes, including tumor microenvironment (TME) remodeling, angiogenesis, invasion, metastasis and drug-resistance. Exosomes initiate or suppress various signaling pathways in the recipient cells via transmitting heterogeneous cargoes. In this review we discuss exosome biogenesis, exosome mediated metastasis and chemoresistance. Furthermore, tumor derived exosomes role in tumor microenvironment remodeling, and angiogenesis is reviewed. Also, exosome induction of epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) is highlighted. More importantly, we discuss extensively how exosomes regulate drug resistance in several cancers. Thus, understanding exosome biogenesis, their contents and the molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways that are responsible for metastasis and drug-resistance mediated by TDEs may help to devise novel therapeutic approaches for cancer progression particularly to overcome therapy-resistance and preventing metastasis as major factors of cancer mortality.
The feedback loop between miR-222-3p and ZEB1 harnesses metastasis in renal cell carcinoma.
Wang F, Li L, Sun X, Cai X, Wang J, Luo H Cell Death Discov. 2025; 11(1):97.
PMID: 40074730 PMC: 11903659. DOI: 10.1038/s41420-025-02385-0.
Qi W, Tian L, Xu J, Li Z, Wang T Cancer Manag Res. 2025; 17:461-481.
PMID: 40060704 PMC: 11889406. DOI: 10.2147/CMAR.S506630.
Jiang M, Liu J, Hu S, Yan X, Cao Y, Wu Z Stem Cell Res Ther. 2025; 16(1):112.
PMID: 40038776 PMC: 11881248. DOI: 10.1186/s13287-025-04227-3.
Metformin and glioma: Targeting metabolic dysregulation for enhanced therapeutic outcomes.
Basheer H, Salman N, Abdullah R, Elsalem L, Afarinkia K Transl Oncol. 2025; 53:102323.
PMID: 39970627 PMC: 11876755. DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2025.102323.
Regulatory Roles of Exosomes in Aging and Aging-Related Diseases.
Xiao N, Li Q, Liang G, Qian Z, Lin Y, Zhang H Biogerontology. 2025; 26(2):61.
PMID: 39966192 DOI: 10.1007/s10522-025-10200-7.