Department of Radiology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, 36 Sanhao Street, Heping District, Shenyang, 110004, Liaoning, China.
J Hematol Oncol. 2019 Dec 9;12(1):133. doi: 10.1186/s13045-019-0806-6.
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC, also called primary liver cancer) is one of the most fatal cancers in the world. Due to the insidiousness of the onset of HCC and the lack of effective treatment methods, the prognosis of HCC is extremely poor, and the 5-year average survival rate is less than 10%. Exosomes are nano-sized microvesicle and contain various components such as nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids. Exosomes are important carriers for signal transmission or transportation of material from cell to cell or between cells and tissues. In recent years, exosomes have been considered as potential therapeutic targets of HCC. A large number of reports indicate that exosomes play a key role in the establishment of an HCC microenvironment, as well as the development, progression, invasion, metastasis, and even the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of HCC. However, the exact molecular mechanisms and roles of exosomes in these processes remain unclear. We believe that elucidation of the regulatory mechanism of HCC-related exosomes and its signaling pathway and analysis of its clinical applications in the diagnosis and treatment of HCC can provide useful clues for future treatment regimens for HCC. This article discusses and summarizes the research progress of HCC-related exosomes and their potential clinical applications.
肝细胞癌(HCC,也称为原发性肝癌)是世界上最致命的癌症之一。由于 HCC 发病隐匿,缺乏有效的治疗方法,HCC 的预后极差,5 年平均生存率不足 10%。外泌体是纳米大小的微囊泡,包含核酸、蛋白质和脂质等各种成分。外泌体是细胞间或细胞与组织间物质信号传递或运输的重要载体。近年来,外泌体被认为是 HCC 的潜在治疗靶点。大量报道表明,外泌体在 HCC 微环境的建立,以及 HCC 的发生、发展、侵袭、转移,甚至诊断、治疗和预后中发挥着关键作用。然而,外泌体在这些过程中的确切分子机制和作用仍不清楚。我们相信,阐明 HCC 相关外泌体的调控机制及其信号通路,并分析其在 HCC 诊断和治疗中的临床应用,可为 HCC 的未来治疗方案提供有用的线索。本文讨论并总结了 HCC 相关外泌体的研究进展及其潜在的临床应用。