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Review
. 2023 Jan 17:14:1110922.
doi: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1110922. eCollection 2023.

Role of exosomes in hepatocellular carcinoma and the regulation of traditional Chinese medicine

Man Yao  1 , Shufang Liang  1 , Binbin Cheng  1   2
Affiliations
Review

Role of exosomes in hepatocellular carcinoma and the regulation of traditional Chinese medicine

Man Yao et al. Front Pharmacol. .

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) usually occurs on the basis of chronic liver inflammatory diseases and cirrhosis. The liver microenvironment plays a vital role in the tumor initiation and progression. Exosomes, which are nanometer-sized membrane vesicles are secreted by a number of cell types. Exosomes carry multiple proteins, DNAs and various forms of RNA, and are mediators of cell-cell communication and regulate the tumor microenvironment. In the recent decade, many studies have demonstrated that exosomes are involved in the communication between HCC cells and the stromal cells, including endothelial cells, macrophages, hepatic stellate cells and the immune cells, and serve as a regulator in the tumor proliferation and metastasis, immune evasion and immunotherapy. In addition, exosomes can also be used for the diagnosis and treatment HCC. They can potentially serve as specific biomarkers for early diagnosis and drug delivery vehicles of HCC. Chinese herbal medicine, which is widely used in the prevention and treatment of HCC in China, may regulate the release of exosomes and exosomes-mediated intercellular communication. In this review, we summarized the latest progresses on the role of the exosomes in the initiation, progression and treatment of HCC and the potential value of Traditional Chinese medicine in exosomes-mediated biological behaviors of HCC.

Keywords: exosomes; hepatocellular carcinoma; intercellular communication; traditional Chinese medicine; tumor microenvironment.

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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
Role of exosomes in the progression of HCC.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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