Extracellular Vesicles in Cancer Drug Resistance: Implications on Melanoma Therapy
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are involved in the pathogenesis of neoplastic diseases. Their role in mediating drug resistance has been widely described in several types of cancers, including melanoma. EVs can mediate drug resistance through several different mechanisms, such as drug-sequestration, t...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-02-01
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| Series: | Cancers |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/15/4/1074 |
| _version_ | 1797621934686470144 |
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| author | Alice Musi Laura Bongiovanni |
| author_facet | Alice Musi Laura Bongiovanni |
| author_sort | Alice Musi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are involved in the pathogenesis of neoplastic diseases. Their role in mediating drug resistance has been widely described in several types of cancers, including melanoma. EVs can mediate drug resistance through several different mechanisms, such as drug-sequestration, transfer of pro-survival proteins and RNA, induction of cancer stem cell-like features and interaction with cells of the tumor microenvironment and immune-system. Melanoma is a highly immunogenic tumor originating from the malignant transformation of melanocytes. Several therapeutic strategies currently used in the treatment of melanoma and the combination of BRAF and MEK-inhibitors, as well as immune check-point inhibitors (ICI), have consistently improved the overall survival time of melanoma patients. However, the development of resistance is one of the biggest problems leading to a poor clinical outcome, and EVs can contribute to this. EVs isolated from melanoma cells can contain “sequestered” chemotherapeutic drugs in order to eliminate them, or bioactive molecules (such as miRNA or proteins) that have been proven to play a crucial role in the transmission of resistance to sensitive neoplastic cells. This leads to the hypothesis that EVs could be considered as resistance-mediators in sensitive melanoma cells. These findings are a pivotal starting point for further investigations to better understand EVs’ role in drug resistance mechanisms and how to target them. The purpose of this review is to summarize knowledge about EVs in order to develop a deeper understanding of their underlying mechanisms. This could lead to the development of new therapeutic strategies able to bypass EV-mediated drug-resistance in melanoma, such as by the use of combination therapy, including EV release inhibitors. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T09:03:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7cdeea2946134931ba7eff6f0e2fe92b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-6694 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T09:03:06Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Cancers |
| spelling | doaj.art-7cdeea2946134931ba7eff6f0e2fe92b2023-11-16T19:35:46ZengMDPI AGCancers2072-66942023-02-01154107410.3390/cancers15041074Extracellular Vesicles in Cancer Drug Resistance: Implications on Melanoma TherapyAlice Musi0Laura Bongiovanni1Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, 64100 Teramo, ItalyDepartment of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, 64100 Teramo, ItalyExtracellular vesicles (EVs) are involved in the pathogenesis of neoplastic diseases. Their role in mediating drug resistance has been widely described in several types of cancers, including melanoma. EVs can mediate drug resistance through several different mechanisms, such as drug-sequestration, transfer of pro-survival proteins and RNA, induction of cancer stem cell-like features and interaction with cells of the tumor microenvironment and immune-system. Melanoma is a highly immunogenic tumor originating from the malignant transformation of melanocytes. Several therapeutic strategies currently used in the treatment of melanoma and the combination of BRAF and MEK-inhibitors, as well as immune check-point inhibitors (ICI), have consistently improved the overall survival time of melanoma patients. However, the development of resistance is one of the biggest problems leading to a poor clinical outcome, and EVs can contribute to this. EVs isolated from melanoma cells can contain “sequestered” chemotherapeutic drugs in order to eliminate them, or bioactive molecules (such as miRNA or proteins) that have been proven to play a crucial role in the transmission of resistance to sensitive neoplastic cells. This leads to the hypothesis that EVs could be considered as resistance-mediators in sensitive melanoma cells. These findings are a pivotal starting point for further investigations to better understand EVs’ role in drug resistance mechanisms and how to target them. The purpose of this review is to summarize knowledge about EVs in order to develop a deeper understanding of their underlying mechanisms. This could lead to the development of new therapeutic strategies able to bypass EV-mediated drug-resistance in melanoma, such as by the use of combination therapy, including EV release inhibitors.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/15/4/1074cancermelanomaextracellular vesiclesdrug resistance |
| spellingShingle | Alice Musi Laura Bongiovanni Extracellular Vesicles in Cancer Drug Resistance: Implications on Melanoma Therapy Cancers cancer melanoma extracellular vesicles drug resistance |
| title | Extracellular Vesicles in Cancer Drug Resistance: Implications on Melanoma Therapy |
| title_full | Extracellular Vesicles in Cancer Drug Resistance: Implications on Melanoma Therapy |
| title_fullStr | Extracellular Vesicles in Cancer Drug Resistance: Implications on Melanoma Therapy |
| title_full_unstemmed | Extracellular Vesicles in Cancer Drug Resistance: Implications on Melanoma Therapy |
| title_short | Extracellular Vesicles in Cancer Drug Resistance: Implications on Melanoma Therapy |
| title_sort | extracellular vesicles in cancer drug resistance implications on melanoma therapy |
| topic | cancer melanoma extracellular vesicles drug resistance |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/15/4/1074 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT alicemusi extracellularvesiclesincancerdrugresistanceimplicationsonmelanomatherapy AT laurabongiovanni extracellularvesiclesincancerdrugresistanceimplicationsonmelanomatherapy |