Emerging advances of detection strategies for tumor-derived exosomes

Exosomes derived from tumor cells contain various molecular components, such as proteins, RNA, DNA, lipids, and carbohydrates. These components play a crucial role in all stages of tumorigenesis and development. Moreover, they reflect the physiological and pathological status of parental tumor cells. Recently, tumor-derived exosomes have become popular biomarkers for non-invasive liquid biopsy and the diagnosis of numerous cancers. The interdisciplinary significance of exosomes research has also attracted growing enthusiasm. However, the intrinsic nature of tumor-derived exosomes requires advanced methods to detect and evaluate the complex biofluid. This review analyzes the relationship between exosomes and tumors. It also summarizes the exosomal biological origin, composition, and application of molecular markers in clinical cancer diagnosis. Remarkably, this paper constitutes a comprehensive summary of the innovative research on numerous detection strategies for tumor-derived exosomes with the intent of providing a theoretical basis and reference for early diagnosis and clinical treatment of cancer.

The schematic diagram of the relationship between tumor-related exosomes and tumors

Tumor-derived exosomes directly induce immune tolerance by transmitting inhibited or apoptotic signals to immune cells, indirectly affecting immune cells’ development, maturation, and anti-tumor activity. These exosomes alter the function of the responding cells by passing miRNA/mRNA/DNA to immune cells, polarizing macrophages into M2 type that accelerates tumor progression, converting normal fibroblasts into tumor-associated ones, promoting angiogenesis of endothelial cells, inhibiting the killing function of natural killer (NK) cells, and by triggering the differentiation of dendritic cells to promote the occurrence and development of tumors.