Department of Pediatrics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Adv Exp Med Biol. 2020;1258:189-197. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-43085-6_13.
It is becoming increasingly recognized that the tumor microenvironment significantly contributes to the development, progression, and metastasis of cancer and also plays a role in response to treatment. The tumor microenvironment is a complex and heterogeneous niche comprised of stromal cells, cancer cells, blood vessels, areas of hypoxia and necrotic tissue, fibrosis, and extracellular matrix. Cellular communication takes place within the tumor microenvironment, both via cell to cell contact, and through extracellular mechanisms such as exosomal signaling. Exosomes are very small membrane-bound vesicles that have been shown to play key roles in the progression of cancer including modulation of the tumor microenvironment through the induction of angiogenesis, the transfer of genetic information that confers drug resistance, and increased cell migration, invasion, proliferation, and survival, as well as the modulation of immune cell interactions. The role of exosomes in several different cancers has been investigated. In the context of osteosarcoma, understanding how exosomes may modulate the tumor microenvironment to support metastatic growth particularly in the lung, the most common site of metastases, may identify novel therapeutic targets for relapsed patients.
越来越多的人认识到，肿瘤微环境对癌症的发展、进展和转移有重大影响，并且在治疗反应中也起着一定作用。肿瘤微环境是一个复杂且异质的小生境，由基质细胞、癌细胞、血管、缺氧和坏死组织区域、纤维化和细胞外基质组成。细胞间的通讯在肿瘤微环境中进行，既可以通过细胞间接触，也可以通过细胞外机制（如外泌体信号传递）进行。外泌体是非常小的膜结合囊泡，已被证明在外泌体在癌症进展中起着关键作用，包括通过诱导血管生成来调节肿瘤微环境、传递赋予耐药性的遗传信息，以及增加细胞迁移、侵袭、增殖和存活，以及调节免疫细胞相互作用。外泌体在几种不同癌症中的作用已经被研究过。在骨肉瘤的背景下，了解外泌体如何调节肿瘤微环境以支持转移生长，特别是在最常见的转移部位肺部，可能为复发患者确定新的治疗靶点。
