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Review
. 2021 Apr;10(6):e12075.
doi: 10.1002/jev2.12075. Epub 2021 Apr 1.

Professional killers: The role of extracellular vesicles in the reciprocal interactions between natural killer, CD8+ cytotoxic T-cells and tumour cells

Filippo Del Vecchio  1 , Verena Martinez-Rodriguez  1   2 , Monique Schukking  1   3 , Alexander Cocks  1 , Elisabetta Broseghini  1   4 , Muller Fabbri  1
Affiliations
Review

Professional killers: The role of extracellular vesicles in the reciprocal interactions between natural killer, CD8+ cytotoxic T-cells and tumour cells

Filippo Del Vecchio et al. J Extracell Vesicles. 2021 Apr.

Abstract

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) mediate the cross-talk between cancer cells and the cells of the surrounding Tumour Microenvironment (TME). Professional killer cells include Natural Killer (NK) cells and CD8+ Cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTLs), which represent some of the most effective immune defense mechanisms against cancer cells. Recent evidence supports the role of EVs released by NK cells and CTLs in killing cancer cells, paving the road to a possible therapeutic role for such EVs. This review article provides the state-of-the-art knowledge on the role of NK- and CTL-derived EVs as anticancer agents, focusing on the different functions of different sub-types of EVs. We also reviewed the current knowledge on the effects of cancer-derived EVs on NK cells and CTLs, identifying areas for future investigation in the emerging new field of EV-mediated immunotherapy of cancer.

Keywords: CTLs; NK cells; cancer; extracellular vesicles; immune system.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors do not have any conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Schematic representation of extracellular vesicles‐mediated crosstalk between Natural killer cells (NKs) and cancer cells. [NKs and cancer cells communicate through extracellular vesicles (EVs), such as exosomes and microvescicles. Exosomes are generated in the late endosomes when small vesicles are internalized, thus creating multivesicular bodies which then fuse with the cellular membrane and deliver their exosomal content in the extracellular space. Microvesicles are larger EVs produced by outward budding of the plasma membrane. EVs molecular cargo includes different types of biomolecules, including proteins and microRNAs, that could be exchanged leading to functional effects on both cells]
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Schematic representation of extracellular vesicle‐mediated crosstalk between CD8+ T cells and tumour cells. [CD8+ T cells and cancer cells communicate through extracellular vesicles (EVs), such as exosomes, microvescicles and apoptotic bodies. Adding to traditional EVs, apoptotic bodies are large fragments of cellular material shedding from tumour cells which could be released in the extracellular milieu]
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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