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Role of Extracellular Vesicles in the Progression of Brain Tumors
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Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (Dipartimento di Scienze Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche) (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy
2
Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Biology 2024, 13(8), 586; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13080586
Submission received: 18 June 2024
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Revised: 23 July 2024
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Accepted: 1 August 2024
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Published: 2 August 2024
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of Extracellular Vesicles in Cancer Development, Metastasis and Treatment)
Simple Summary
Simple Summary: Brain tumors are among the most aggressive and difficult to cope with cancers among the many kinds which can affect the human body. These properties are due to their heterogeneity, and also to the fact that they are generated inside the brain, where they are isolated by the presence of the blood–brain barrier (BBB). However, like most cancer cells, they release extracellular vesicles (EVs), membrane-bound structures that transport many classes of molecules, involved in the growth and expansion of the cancer itself. EVs can cross the BBB in both directions; thus, they are now intensely studied because researchers hope that non-invasive isolation of EVs from the circulation may allow identification of cancer-specific biomarkers, which may be of help for the diagnosis as well as for envisaging the most useful therapy. Moreover, EVs themselves might also be used as a new type of carrier for delivering to the brain cancer-specific drugs.
Abstract
Brain tumors, and, in particular, glioblastoma (GBM), are among the most aggressive forms of cancer. In spite of the advancement in the available therapies, both diagnosis and treatments are still unable to ensure pathology-free survival of the GBM patients for more than 12–15 months. At the basis of the still poor ability to cope with brain tumors, we can consider: (i) intra-tumor heterogeneity; (ii) heterogeneity of the tumor properties when we compare different patients; (iii) the blood–brain barrier (BBB), which makes difficult both isolation of tumor-specific biomarkers and delivering of therapeutic drugs to the brain. Recently, it is becoming increasingly clear that cancer cells release large amounts of extracellular vesicles (EVs) that transport metabolites, proteins, different classes of RNAs, DNA, and lipids. These structures are involved in the pathological process and characterize any particular form of cancer. Moreover, EVs are able to cross the BBB in both directions. Starting from these observations, researchers are now evaluating the possibility to use EVs purified from organic fluids (first of all, blood and saliva), in order to obtain, through non-invasive methods (liquid biopsy), tumor biomarkers, and, perhaps, also for obtaining nanocarriers for the targeted delivering of drugs.
