Exosomal miRNA: Small Molecules, Big Impact in Colorectal Cancer.

Authors :: Vautrot V
Chanteloup G
Elmallah M
Cordonnier M
Aubin F
Garrido C
Gobbo J
Source :: Journal of oncology [J Oncol] 2019 Oct 13; Vol. 2019, pp. 8585276. Date of Electronic Publication: 2019 Oct 13 (Print Publication: 2019).
Publication Year :: 2019
Abstract: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the major causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Tumor microenvironment (TME) contains many cell types including stromal cells, immune cells, and endothelial cells. The TME modulation explains the heterogeneity of response to therapy observed in patients. In this context, exosomes are emerging as major contributors in cancer biology. Indeed, exosomes are implicated in tumor proliferation, angiogenesis, invasion, and premetastatic niche formation. They contain bioactive molecules such as proteins, lipids, and RNAs. More recently, many studies on exosomes have focused on miRNAs, small noncoding RNA molecules able to influence protein expression. In this review, we describe miRNAs transported by exosomes in the context of CRC and discuss their influence on TME and their potential as circulating biomarkers. This overview underlines emerging roles for exosomal miRNAs in cancer research for the near future.<br />Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.<br /> (Copyright © 2019 Valentin Vautrot et al.)