Published online Jan 15, 2022. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.v14.i1.334
Peer-review started: March 22, 2021
First decision: June 14, 2021
Revised: July 3, 2021
Accepted: September 8, 2021
Article in press: September 8, 2021
Published online: January 15, 2022
Liver cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors with high morbidity and mortality because of lacking early diagnosis and treatment. Exosomes have been a newly discovered cellular communication tool with high biocompatibility, low immunogenicity, and high transport efficiency. They show great potential for cancer diagnosis and therapy.
This review aimed to consolidate the evidence on exosomes as biomarkers for the diagnosis and therapeutics for liver cancer in a systematic fashion.
The main result that the authors are concerned about is discovering the great potential of exosomes in the diagnosis and treatment of liver cancer.
Cargos | Source of exosomes | Animal model (Yes/No) | Clinical sample (Yes/No) | Functions | Ref. |
Exosomes plus microwave ablation | DCs-exosomes | Y | N | Inhibit tumor growth and improve the immune microenvironment | [70] |
Exosomes | DCs-exosomes | Y | N | Elicited strong antigen-specific immune responses and resulted in tumor growth retardation and prolonged survival rates in mice with ectopic | [71] |
A systematic literature search was performed using PubMed and Web of Science. The latest literature was published in June 2021.
Fifty-eight studies were included in this systematic review. Blood-derived exosomes could be biomarkers or biotherapeutics. Cell-derived exosomes, which were used to explore underlying mechanisms of differentially expressed exosome contents in clinical tissue samples, might serve as potential therapeutic targets for liver cancer. Exosomes might also serve as drug carriers or therapeutic factors.
Existing studies show that exosomes have great potential for clinical application as potential novel diagnostic and therapeutic markers of liver cancer.
This present review might be helpful as a reference for clinical research on exosomes in liver cancer.