Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2021 Aug 30:11:732702.
doi: 10.3389/fonc.2021.732702. eCollection 2021.

Small Extracellular Vesicles in the Development, Diagnosis, and Possible Therapeutic Application of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Zheng Zhao  1 , Shuyue Yang  1 , Anni Zhou  1 , Xiao Li  1 , Rui Fang  1 , Shutian Zhang  1 , Guiping Zhao  1 , Peng Li  1
Affiliations
Review

Small Extracellular Vesicles in the Development, Diagnosis, and Possible Therapeutic Application of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Zheng Zhao et al. Front Oncol. .

Abstract

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) persists among the most lethal and broad-spreading malignancies in China. The exosome is a kind of extracellular vesicle (EV) from about 30 to 200 nm in diameter, contributing to the transfer of specific functional molecules, such as metabolites, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. The paramount role of exosomes in the formation and development of ESCC, which relies on promoting intercellular communication in the tumor microenvironment (TME), is manifested with immense amounts. Tumor-derived exosomes (TDEs) participate in most hallmarks of ESCC, including tumorigenesis, invasion, angiogenesis, immunologic escape, metastasis, radioresistance, and chemoresistance. Published reports have delineated that exosome-encapsulated cargos like miRNAs may have utility in the diagnosis, as prognostic biomarkers, and in the treatment of ESCC. This review summarizes the function of exosomes in the neoplasia, progression, and metastasis of ESCC, which improves our understanding of the etiology and pathogenesis of ESCC, and presents a promising target for early diagnostics in ESCC. However, recent studies of exosomes in the treatment of ESCC are sparse. Thus, we introduce the advances in exosome-based methods and indicate the possible applications for ESCC therapy in the future.

Keywords: biomarker; diagnosis; esophageal squamous cell carcinoma; exosomal RNAs; exosome.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The main objective of this review is to introduce the biology of exosomes, summarize the function of exosomal cargos in the initiation and development of ESCC, and collect the clinical application of exosomes in the diagnosis and treatment of ESCC.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Formation, secretion, and uptake of exosome. Invagination of the plasma membrane forms the early endosome. Then, inward invagination of endosomes gives birth to the formation of multivesicular bodies (MVBs) containing intraluminal vesicles (ILVs). Exosomes are eventually released by fusing of MVBs to the plasma membrane and the exocytosis of ILVs. The mechanism of exosome uptake includes direct fusing with the plasma membrane, macropinocytosis, phagocytosis, caveolin-mediated, lipid raft-mediated endocytosis, and clathrin-dependent endocytosis.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The biological function of exosomal cargos in the development of ESCC.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Sung H, Ferlay J, Siegel RL, Laversanne M, Soerjomataram I, Jemal A, et al. . Global Cancer Statistics 2020: GLOBOCAN Estimates of Incidence and Mortality Worldwide for 36 Cancers in 185 Countries. CA Cancer J Clin (2021) 71(3):209–49. 10.3322/caac.21660 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Thrift AP. Global Burden and Epidemiology of Barrett Oesophagus and Oesophageal Cancer. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol (2021) 18(6):432–43. 10.1038/s41575-021-00419-3 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Yang S, Lin S, Li N, Deng Y, Wang M, Xiang D, et al. . Burden, Trends, and Risk Factors of Esophageal Cancer in China From 1990 to 2017: An Up-to-Date Overview and Comparison With Those in Japan and South Korea. J Hematol Oncol (2020) 13(1):146. 10.1186/s13045-020-00981-4 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Pakzad R, Mohammadian-Hafshejani A, Khosravi B, Soltani S, Pakzad I, Mohammadian M, et al. . The Incidence and Mortality of Esophageal Cancer and Their Relationship to Development in Asia. Ann Transl Med (2016) 4(2):29. 10.3978/j.issn.2305-5839.2016.01.11 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Qin Q, Ge X, Wang X, Wang L, Li C, Chen J, et al. . Stage III Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients With Three-Dimensional Conformal or Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy: A Multicenter Retrospective Study. Front Oncol (2020) 10:580450. 10.3389/fonc.2020.580450 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources