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Table 1 Overview on the function of exosomes in cancer

From: Exosomes in cancer: small particle, big player

Exosomal cargo

Secreting cell

Recipient cell

Function

Reference

EGFRvIII

Glioblastoma cells

Glioblastoma cells

Promotes tumor cell growth

[26]

Angiogenin, IL-8, VEGF

Glioblastoma cells

Endothelial cells

Promotes tube formation

[75]

∆Np73

Colon cancer cells

Colon cancer cells

Promotes tumor cell proliferation and therapy resistance

[27]

KRAS

Colon cancer cells (mutant KRAS)

Colon cancer cells (wild-type KRAS)

Enhances tumor cell growth

[97]

MET

Melanoma cells (highly metastatic)

Bone marrow progenitor cells

Promotes tumor growth and metastasis

[39]

HIF-1α

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cells (EBV-positive)

NPC cells (EBV-negative)

Promotes tumor cell migration and invasion

[37]

αvβ6 Integrin

Prostate cancer cells

Prostate cancer cells

Promotes tumor cell migration

[98]

Survivin

Cervical cancer cells

Cervical cancer cells

Inhibits genotoxic stress-induced apoptosis and promotes cell proliferation

[25, 99]

Wnt5a

Macrophages

Breast cancer cells

Enhances tumor cell invasion

[100]

Wnt3a

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma side population (SP) cells

Neighboring non-SP cells

Modulates SP–non-SP transition and promotes tumor progression

[24]

FasL

Activated CD8+ T cells

Melanoma cells, lung cancer cells

Induces MMP9 expression and promotes lung metastasis

[43]

IL-6, CCL2, fibronectin

Multiple myeloma (MM) BM-MSCs

MM cells

Promotes tumor cell growth

[29]

Hsp72

Murine thymoma, mammary carcinoma, colon carcinoma cells

MDSCs

Induces immunosuppression and enhances tumor growth

[63]

TF

Squamous cells, colon cancer cells

Endothelial cells

Promotes coagulation

[71]

CD39, CD73

Bladder, colorectal, prostate, breast cancer cells

T cells

Induces adenosine production and inhibits T cell activation

[101]

TGF-β

Mesothelioma, prostate, bladder, colorectal, breast cancer cells

Fibroblasts

Induces myofibroblast differentiation and promotes tumor angiogenesis and growth

[66, 67]

TGF-β

Prostate cancer, gastric cancer

MSCs

Induces myofibroblast differentiation and promotes angiogenesis and invasiveness

[68, 102]

TGF-β

Pleural effusions of mesothelioma patients

NK cells, CD8+ T cells

Downregulates NKG2D expression and impairs cell killing activity

[103]

MICA*008

Cervical cancer cells

NK cells

Decreases NKG2D expression and reduces NK cytotoxicity

[104]

TGF-β, PGE2

Murine mammary adenocarcinoma cells

Bone marrow myeloid cells (CD11b+Ly6G+)

Induces MDSCs accumulation and immunosuppression

[61]

CCL20

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells

Regulatory T cells

Recruits and induces Treg conversion

[59]

KIT

Mast cells

Lung cancer cells

Accelerates cell proliferation

[105]

KIT

Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) cells

Progenitor smooth muscle cells

Increases tumor invasiveness

[40]

Wnt11

Fibroblasts

Breast cancer cells

Promotes tumor metastasis

[42]

MIF

Pancreatic cancer cells

Liver Kupffer cells

Promotes metastasis

[47]

Hsp70

Renal cancer cells (murine Renca cell line)

MDSCs

Induces MDSCs activation and enhances tumor growth

[106]

Adrenomedullin

Pancreatic cancer cells

Adipocytes

Promotes lipolysis

[107]

S1P, CCL20, PGE2

Enteropathogenic bacteria-stimulated intestinal epithelial cells

Th17 cells

Promotes the development of colon cancer

[108]

miR-9

Lung cancer, melanoma, pancreatic cancer, glioblastoma, colorectal cancer cells

Endothelial cells

Induces tumor angiogenesis

[109]

miR-125b, 130b, 155

Prostate cancer (PC) cells

PC patient adipose-derived stem cells (pASCs)

Induces neoplastic transformation

[22]

miR-135b

Multiple myeloma cells (under chronic hypoxia condition)

Endothelial cells

Enhances endothelial tube formation

[36]

miR-10b

Metastatic breast cancer cells

Mammary epithelial cells

Promotes cell migration

[110]

miR-92a

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cells

Endothelial cells

Promotes cell migration and tube formation

[35]

miR-210

CML cells (under hypoxia condition)

Endothelial cells

Promotes angiogenic activity

[34]

miR-223

IL-4-activated macrophages

Breast cancer cells

Promotes cell invasion

[44]

miR-222

Drug-resistant breast cancer cells

Drug-sensitive breast cancer cells

Transmits chemoresistance

[111]

miR-584, 517c, 378

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells

HCC cells

Promotes HCC cell growth and metastasis

[112]

miR-21, 29a

Lung cancer cells

Macrophages

Promotes tumor metastasis

[46]

miR-105

Metastatic breast cancer cells

Endothelial cells

Destroys tight junction, induces vascular permeability, and promotes metastasis

[33]

Pre-miRNAs, RISC-loading complex

Breast cancer cells

Non-tumorigenic epithelial cells

Induces cell transformation

[23]

miR-24-3p, 891a, 106a-5p, 20a-5p, 1908

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma

T cells

Promotes T cell dysfunction and tumor progression

[60]

miR-221, 222

Gastric cancer tissue derived MSCs

Gastric cancer cells

Enhances tumor cell migration

[60]

miR-122

Breast cancer cells

Lung fibroblasts, brain astrocytes, and neurons

Reprograms systemic energy metabolism and facilitates metastasis

[113]

miR-23b

Bladder cancer cells (cellular disposal by exosome release)

None

Acquires metastatic potential

[38]

miR-503

Endothelial cells

Breast cancer cells

Impairs tumor cell growth

[114]

miR-140

Preadipocytes

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) cells

Enhances tumorigenesis

[115]

miR-127, 197, 222, 223

Bone marrow stromal cells

Breast cancer cells

Decreases cell proliferation and induces cell quiescence

[116]

TUC339

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells

HCC cells

Promotes tumor cell growth and inhibits cell adhesion

[81]

Linc-ROR

HCC cells

HCC cells

Reduces chemotherapy sensitivity

[82]