Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119077, Singapore.
School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore.
Int J Mol Sci. 2020 Apr 15;21(8):2755. doi: 10.3390/ijms21082755.
A decline in cognitive function following cancer treatment is one of the most commonly reported post-treatment symptoms among patients with cancer and those in remission, and include memory, processing speed, and executive function. A clear understanding of cognitive impairment as a result of cancer and its therapy can be obtained by delineating structural and functional changes using brain imaging studies and neurocognitive assessments. There is also a need to determine the underlying mechanisms and pathways that impact the brain and affect cognitive functioning in cancer survivors. Exosomes are small cell-derived vesicles formed by the inward budding of multivesicular bodies, and are released into the extracellular environment via an exocytic pathway. Growing evidence suggests that exosomes contribute to various physiological and pathological conditions, including neurological processes such as synaptic plasticity, neuronal stress response, cell-to-cell communication, and neurogenesis. In this review, we summarize the relationship between exosomes and cancer-related cognitive impairment. Unraveling exosomes' actions and effects on the microenvironment of the brain, which impacts cognitive functioning, is critical for the development of exosome-based therapeutics for cancer-related cognitive impairment.
癌症治疗后认知功能下降是癌症患者和缓解期患者最常报告的治疗后症状之一，包括记忆力、处理速度和执行功能。通过使用脑影像学研究和神经认知评估来描绘结构和功能变化，可以清楚地了解癌症及其治疗导致的认知障碍。还需要确定影响大脑并影响癌症幸存者认知功能的潜在机制和途径。外泌体是由多泡体向内出芽形成的小细胞衍生囊泡，并通过外排途径释放到细胞外环境中。越来越多的证据表明，外泌体参与各种生理和病理状况，包括神经过程，如突触可塑性、神经元应激反应、细胞间通讯和神经发生。在这篇综述中，我们总结了外泌体与癌症相关认知障碍之间的关系。揭示外泌体对大脑微环境的作用和影响，从而影响认知功能，对于开发基于外泌体的癌症相关认知障碍治疗方法至关重要。
