Exosomal long non-coding RNAs: Emerging players in cancer metastasis and potential diagnostic biomarkers for personalized oncology

• Main Authors: Hui Nie, Zhujun Liao, Yutong Wang, Jianhua Zhou, Xiaoyun He, Chunlin Ou
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2021-11-01
• Series: Genes and Diseases
• Subjects: Cancer metastasis; Exosomes; Extracellular vesicles; Long noncoding RNA; Therapy; Tumor marker
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352304220301616

Metastasis is a major challenge in the treatment of cancer. Exosomes are a class of small extracellular vesicles (EVs) that play critical roles in several human diseases, especially cancer, by transferring information (e.g., DNA, RNA, and protein) via cell-to-cell communication. Numerous recent studies have shown that exosomal long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play crucial regulatory roles in cancer metastasis in the tumor microenvironment by altering the expression of several key signaling pathways and molecules. Due to their specificity and sensitivity, exosomal lncRNAs have potential as novel tumor markers and therapeutic targets in the treatment of cancer metastasis. In this review, we aim to summarize the roles of exosomal lncRNAs in cancer metastasis, the mechanisms underlying their roles, and their potential clinical applications.