Huang Xueyan, Tang Yuedi
Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
PeerJ. 2025 Jan 13;13:e18783. doi: 10.7717/peerj.18783. eCollection 2025.
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a malignancy arising from the epithelium of the nasopharynx. Given its late diagnosis, NPC raises serious considerations in Southeast Asia. In addition to resistance to conventional treatment that combines chemotherapy and radiation, NPC has high rates of metastasis and frequent recurrence. Exosomes are small membrane vesicles at the nanoscale that transport physiologically active compounds from their source cell and have a crucial function in signal transmission and intercellular message exchange. The exosomes detected in the tissues of NPC patients have recently emerged as a potential non-invasive liquid biopsy biomarker that plays a role in controlling the tumor pathophysiology. Here, we take a look back at what we know so far about the complex double-edged sword role of exosomes in NPC. Exosomes could serve as biomarkers and therapeutic agents, as well as the molecular mechanisms by which they promote cell growth, angiogenesis, metastasis, immunosuppression, radiation resistance, and chemotherapy resistance in NPC. Furthermore, we go over some of the difficulties and restrictions associated with exosome use. It is anticipated that this article would provide the reference for the apply of exosomes in clinical practice.
鼻咽癌（NPC）是一种起源于鼻咽上皮的恶性肿瘤。鉴于其诊断较晚，鼻咽癌在东南亚地区引发了严重关注。除了对化疗和放疗相结合的传统治疗具有抗性外，鼻咽癌还具有高转移率和频繁复发的特点。外泌体是纳米级的小膜泡，可从其来源细胞运输生理活性化合物，并在信号传递和细胞间信息交换中发挥关键作用。最近在鼻咽癌患者组织中检测到的外泌体已成为一种潜在的非侵入性液体活检生物标志物，在控制肿瘤病理生理学中发挥作用。在此，我们回顾一下目前我们对鼻咽癌中外泌体复杂的双刃剑作用所了解的情况。外泌体可作为生物标志物和治疗剂，以及它们在鼻咽癌中促进细胞生长、血管生成、转移、免疫抑制、抗辐射和抗化疗的分子机制。此外，我们还讨论了与外泌体使用相关的一些困难和限制。预计本文将为外泌体在临床实践中的应用提供参考。
