Exososome: Potential Biomarker for Cancer

Callie Mincy, Asha Eapen

Transformation is a common phenomenon that occurs in a cancer environment. As a result of tumorogenesis, normal cells are transformed into cancer cells. Researchers have shown that multicellular vesicles known as exosomes secreted by malignant cells have the potential to induce this normal cell transformation. Accumulating evidence indicates that exosomes play important roles in cancer. Exosomes are known to play decisive roles in tumorogenesis, growth, progression, metastasis, and drug resistance by transferring oncogenic proteins and nucleic acids that modulates the activity of recipient cells. In this review, we will unveil the role of exosomes as communication molecules in cancer. Exosome shuttle proteins and nucleic acids and so have been suggested as novel diagnostic and prognostic indicators for a variety of cancers. Currently, tumor-derived exosomes are utilized as vaccines and as carriers for drugs and small molecules in pre-clinical studies and clinical trials.