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Review
. 2024 Aug 12:19:8211-8236.
doi: 10.2147/IJN.S479533. eCollection 2024.

Hypoxia-Driven Changes in Tumor Microenvironment: Insights into Exosome-Mediated Cell Interactions

Churan Wang  1 , Shun Xu  2 , Xiao Yang  2
Affiliations
Review

Hypoxia-Driven Changes in Tumor Microenvironment: Insights into Exosome-Mediated Cell Interactions

Churan Wang et al. Int J Nanomedicine. .

Abstract

Hypoxia, as a prominent feature of the tumor microenvironment, has a profound impact on the multicomponent changes within this environment. Under hypoxic conditions, the malignant phenotype of tumor cells, the variety of cell types within the tumor microenvironment, as well as intercellular communication and material exchange, undergo complex alterations. These changes provide significant prospects for exploring the mechanisms of tumor development under different microenvironmental conditions and for devising therapeutic strategies. Exosomes secreted by tumor cells and stromal cells are integral components of the tumor microenvironment, serving as crucial mediators of intercellular communication and material exchange, and have consequently garnered increasing attention from researchers. This review focuses on the mechanisms by which hypoxic conditions promote the release of exosomes by tumor cells and alter their encapsulated contents. It also examines the effects of exosomes derived from tumor cells, immune cells, and other cell types under hypoxic conditions on the tumor microenvironment. Additionally, we summarize current research progress on the potential clinical applications of exosomes under hypoxic conditions and propose future research directions in this field.

Keywords: exosomes; hypoxia; tumor microenvironment; vesicles.

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Conflict of interest statement

These authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest in this work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Diagram of the exosome formation process.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Provides an overview of the role of tumor cell-derived exosomes in tumor development in a hypoxic microenvironment, including tumor proliferation, migration, invasion, angiogenesis, metastasis, drug resistance, changes in the immune microenvironment, and activation of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Provides an overview of the impact of exosomes derived from tumor cells in a hypoxic microenvironment and their cargo on tumor proliferation, migration, invasion, angiogenesis, and metastasis.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Provides an overview of the impact of exosomes derived from tumor cells in a hypoxic microenvironment and their cargo on tumor radiotherapy and chemotherapy resistance.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Summarizes the interaction between tumor cells in a hypoxic microenvironment with cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), immune cells, and stem cells through exosomes.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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