Open Access

Role of exosomes in the immune microenvironment of ovarian cancer (Review)

  • Authors:
    • Xiao Li
    • Yang Liu
    • Shuangshuang Zheng
    • Tianyu Zhang
    • Jing Wu
    • Yue Sun
    • Jingzi Zhang
    • Guoyan Liu
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: March 15, 2021     https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2021.12638
  • Article Number: 377
  • Copyright: © Li et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

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Abstract

Exosomes are excretory vesicles that can deliver a variety of bioactive cargo molecules to the extracellular environment. Accumulating evidence demonstrates exosome participation in intercellular communication, immune response, inflammatory response and they even play an essential role in affecting the tumor immune microenvironment. The role of exosomes in the immune microenvironment of ovarian cancer is mainly divided into suppression and stimulation. On one hand exosomes can stimulate the innate and adaptive immune systems by activating dendritic cells (DCs), natural killer cells and T cells, allowing these immune cells exert an antitumorigenic effect. On the other hand, ovarian cancer‑derived exosomes initiate cross‑talk with immunosuppressive effector cells, which subsequently cause immune evasion; one of the hallmarks of cancer. Exosomes induce the polarization of macrophages in M2 phenotype and induce apoptosis of lymphocytes and DCs. Exosomes further activate additional immunosuppressive effector cells (myeloid‑derived suppressor cells and regulatory T cells) that induce fibroblasts to differentiate into cancer‑associated fibroblasts. Exosomes also induce the tumorigenicity of mesenchymal stem cells to exert additional immune suppression. Furthermore, besides mediating the intercellular communication, exosomes carry microRNAs (miRNAs), proteins and lipids to the tumor microenvironment, which collectively promotes ovarian cancer cells to proliferate, invade and tumors to metastasize. Studying proteins, lipids and miRNAs carried by exosomes could potentially be used as an early diagnostic marker of ovarian cancer for designing treatment strategies.
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May-2021
Volume 21 Issue 5

Print ISSN: 1792-1074
Online ISSN:1792-1082

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Copy and paste a formatted citation
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Spandidos Publications style
Li X, Liu Y, Zheng S, Zhang T, Wu J, Sun Y, Zhang J and Liu G: Role of exosomes in the immune microenvironment of ovarian cancer (Review). Oncol Lett 21: 377, 2021
APA
Li, X., Liu, Y., Zheng, S., Zhang, T., Wu, J., Sun, Y. ... Liu, G. (2021). Role of exosomes in the immune microenvironment of ovarian cancer (Review). Oncology Letters, 21, 377. https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2021.12638
MLA
Li, X., Liu, Y., Zheng, S., Zhang, T., Wu, J., Sun, Y., Zhang, J., Liu, G."Role of exosomes in the immune microenvironment of ovarian cancer (Review)". Oncology Letters 21.5 (2021): 377.
Chicago
Li, X., Liu, Y., Zheng, S., Zhang, T., Wu, J., Sun, Y., Zhang, J., Liu, G."Role of exosomes in the immune microenvironment of ovarian cancer (Review)". Oncology Letters 21, no. 5 (2021): 377. https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2021.12638