Progress in application of exosomes for the diagnosis and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma / 肿瘤

ABSTRACT

Exosomes have a variety of biological functions, including immune response, antigen presentation, and intracellular communication by serving as vehicles for transporting proteins, virus, lipids, and RNA. As an important materials- and information-exchange tool between cells, the exosomes can regulate tumor microenvironment by transfering the intercellular proteins and genetic signals, then mediate apoptosis, differentiation, angiogenesis, and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. On the other hand, an important approach to improve the long-term survival of HCC patients is early diagnosis. Therefore, the exosomes might be used as new molecular biomarkers for diagnosis of HCC, and can be used as potential therapeutic targets for treatment of HCC. In this review, the mechanisms and clinical applications of exosomes in HCC are summarized.