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Abstract
Exosomes play essential roles in intercellular communications. The exosome was discovered
in 1983, when it was found that reticulocytes release 50-nm small vesicles carrying
transferrin receptors into the extracellular space. Since then, our understanding
of the mechanism and function of the exosome has expanded exponentially that has transformed
our perspective of inter-cellular exchanges and the molecular mechanisms that underlie
disease progression. Cancer cells generally produce more exosomes than normal cells,
and exosomes derived from cancer cells have a strong capacity to modify both local
and distant microenvironments. In this review, we summarize the functions of exosomes
in cancer development, metastasis, and anti-tumor or pro-tumor immunity, plus their
application in cancer treatment and diagnosis/prognosis. Although the exosome field
has rapidly advanced, we still do not fully understand the regulation and function
of exosomes in detail and still face many challenges in their clinical application.
Continued discoveries in this field will bring novel insights on intercellular communications
involved in various biological functions and disease progression, thus empowering
us to effectively tackle accompanying clinical challenges.