Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, P.R. China.
Department of Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, P.R. China.
Int J Mol Med. 2018 Apr;41(4):1809-1816. doi: 10.3892/ijmm.2018.3383. Epub 2018 Jan 11.
Communication between hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells and their environment is essential for the development and progression of HCC. Exosomes, which are microvesicles secreted by a number of cell types, are carriers of intercellular information and regulate the tumour microenvironment. Studies have demonstrated that exosomes are involved in the communication between HCC cells, endothelial cells and stem cells, and that they serve important roles in the metastasis and invasion, immune evasion and immunotherapy of HCC. In addition, the mechanism of HCC‑derived exosome‑mediated microRNA (miRNA) transfer is important in the environmental modulation of HCC growth and progression. As exosomes can be used for detecting and monitoring HCC, they can potentially serve as specific biomarkers for early‑stage tumours and the tumour metastasis of HCC. Moreover, mesenchymal stem cell‑derived exosomes can be transfected with miRNAs to inhibit HCC development. Therefore, as nucleic acid delivery vehicles, exosomes show a tremendous potential for effective treatment against HCC. In the present review, recent advances in our understanding of the source, composition and function of exosomes in HCC, and their potential value in the early diagnosis and treatment of HCC, are summarized.
肝细胞癌（HCC）细胞与其环境之间的通讯对于 HCC 的发生和进展至关重要。外泌体是许多细胞类型分泌的微囊泡，是细胞间信息的载体，可调节肿瘤微环境。研究表明，外泌体参与 HCC 细胞、内皮细胞和干细胞之间的通讯，在 HCC 的转移和侵袭、免疫逃逸和免疫治疗中发挥重要作用。此外，HCC 衍生的外泌体介导的 microRNA（miRNA）转移机制对于 HCC 生长和进展的环境调节非常重要。由于外泌体可用于 HCC 的检测和监测，因此它们可能成为 HCC 早期肿瘤和肿瘤转移的特异性生物标志物。此外，间充质干细胞衍生的外泌体可转染 miRNA 以抑制 HCC 的发展。因此，作为核酸传递载体，外泌体在有效治疗 HCC 方面显示出巨大的潜力。本综述总结了我们对外泌体在 HCC 中的来源、组成和功能的最新认识，以及它们在 HCC 的早期诊断和治疗中的潜在价值。
