Biomaterial Database

Exosomal microRNAs mediating crosstalk between cancer cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts in the tumor microenvironment. 2022

Yongfang Wang, and Hanyun Liang, and Jie Zheng

Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Weifang Medical University, Shandong, China.

OBJECTIVE Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play an important role in tumor formation and development by serving as the most influential stromal cells within the tumor microenvironment (TME). The communication between tumor cells and CAFs, along with the resulting impact, is more important than originally anticipated. Numerous studies have demonstrated that microRNAs (miRNAs) play an essential role in this crosstalk, and related evidence continues to emerge and advance. In addition, exosomes containing miRNAs have been found as a crucial mode of interaction between these two types of cells, with a more direct and precise role. Under the influence of exosomal miRNAs, normal fibroblasts are converted into CAFs. By doing so, CAFs can greatly promote tumor progression. Additionally, through exosomal miRNAs, activated CAFs may alter the genetic expression in tumor cells, affecting the TME and promoting malignant biological processes. Learning more about exosomal miRNAs in tumor cells and CAFs, and the intricate molecular networks that link CAFs to cancer cells, may help researchers develop more sensitive and effective cancer treatments targeting miRNAs, exosomes and CAFs, thereby giving hope to cancer patients. METHODS A comprehensive search of the literature was conducted through PubMed databases. The keywords entered for the search included: exosomes, cancer-associated fibroblasts, microRNA and cancer. This search provided information about articles published in peer-reviewed journals until 2022. Information from these articles was collected and analyzed in this review. RESULTS Exosomal miRNAs can act as tumor inhibitors or tumor inducers by affecting several targets and molecular signaling pathways. MiRNAs and exosomes involved in crosstalk could have promising applications in cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy. CONCLUSIONS This finding about the crosstalk can help find and develop innovative miRNA-based approaches towards diagnosis, prognosis, and anti-cancer treatments.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D009369	Neoplasms	New abnormal growth of tissue. Malignant neoplasms show a greater degree of anaplasia and have the properties of invasion and metastasis, compared to benign neoplasms.	Benign Neoplasm,Cancer,Malignant Neoplasm,Tumor,Tumors,Benign Neoplasms,Malignancy,Malignant Neoplasms,Neoplasia,Neoplasm,Neoplasms, Benign,Cancers,Malignancies,Neoplasias,Neoplasm, Benign,Neoplasm, Malignant,Neoplasms, Malignant
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000072645	Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts	Subpopulation of heterogeneous fibroblasts within the TUMOR MICROENVIRONMENT that support NEOPLASTIC CELL TRANSFORMATION and NEOPLASTIC PROCESSES.	Cancer Associated Fibroblasts,Tumor-Associated Fibroblasts,Cancer Associated Fibroblast,Cancer-Associated Fibroblast,Fibroblast, Cancer Associated,Fibroblast, Cancer-Associated,Fibroblast, Tumor-Associated,Fibroblasts, Cancer Associated,Fibroblasts, Cancer-Associated,Fibroblasts, Tumor-Associated,Tumor Associated Fibroblasts,Tumor-Associated Fibroblast
D015398	Signal Transduction	The intracellular transfer of information (biological activation/inhibition) through a signal pathway. In each signal transduction system, an activation/inhibition signal from a biologically active molecule (hormone, neurotransmitter) is mediated via the coupling of a receptor/enzyme to a second messenger system or to an ion channel. Signal transduction plays an important role in activating cellular functions, cell differentiation, and cell proliferation. Examples of signal transduction systems are the GAMMA-AMINOBUTYRIC ACID-postsynaptic receptor-calcium ion channel system, the receptor-mediated T-cell activation pathway, and the receptor-mediated activation of phospholipases. Those coupled to membrane depolarization or intracellular release of calcium include the receptor-mediated activation of cytotoxic functions in granulocytes and the synaptic potentiation of protein kinase activation. Some signal transduction pathways may be part of larger signal transduction pathways; for example, protein kinase activation is part of the platelet activation signal pathway.	Cell Signaling,Receptor-Mediated Signal Transduction,Signal Pathways,Receptor Mediated Signal Transduction,Signal Transduction Pathways,Signal Transduction Systems,Pathway, Signal,Pathway, Signal Transduction,Pathways, Signal,Pathways, Signal Transduction,Receptor-Mediated Signal Transductions,Signal Pathway,Signal Transduction Pathway,Signal Transduction System,Signal Transduction, Receptor-Mediated,Signal Transductions,Signal Transductions, Receptor-Mediated,System, Signal Transduction,Systems, Signal Transduction,Transduction, Signal,Transductions, Signal
D055354	Exosomes	A type of extracellular vesicle, containing RNA and proteins, that is secreted into the extracellular space by EXOCYTOSIS when MULTIVESICULAR BODIES fuse with the PLASMA MEMBRANE.
D059016	Tumor Microenvironment	The milieu surrounding neoplasms consisting of cells, vessels, soluble factors, and molecules, that can influence and be influenced by, the neoplasm's growth.	Cancer Microenvironment,Cancer Microenvironments,Microenvironment, Cancer,Microenvironment, Tumor,Microenvironments, Cancer,Microenvironments, Tumor,Tumor Microenvironments
D035683	MicroRNAs	Small double-stranded, non-protein coding RNAs, 21-25 nucleotides in length generated from single-stranded microRNA gene transcripts by the same RIBONUCLEASE III, Dicer, that produces small interfering RNAs (RNA, SMALL INTERFERING). They become part of the RNA-INDUCED SILENCING COMPLEX and repress the translation (TRANSLATION, GENETIC) of target RNA by binding to homologous 3'UTR region as an imperfect match. The small temporal RNAs (stRNAs), let-7 and lin-4, from C. elegans, are the first 2 miRNAs discovered, and are from a class of miRNAs involved in developmental timing.	RNA, Small Temporal,Small Temporal RNA,miRNA,stRNA,Micro RNA,MicroRNA,Primary MicroRNA,Primary miRNA,miRNAs,pre-miRNA,pri-miRNA,MicroRNA, Primary,RNA, Micro,Temporal RNA, Small,miRNA, Primary,pre miRNA,pri miRNA