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MINI REVIEW article

Front. Oncol.
Sec. Cancer Metabolism
Volume 14 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1480074

Exercise-induced extracellular vesicles in reprogramming energy metabolism in cancer

Provisionally accepted
Marju Puurand Marju Puurand 1*Alicia Llorente Alicia Llorente 2,3Aija Linē Aija Linē 4Tuuli Kaambre Tuuli Kaambre 1
  • 1 Laboratory of Chemical Biology, National Institute of Chemical Physics and Biophysics, Tallinn, Estonia
  • 2 Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
  • 3 Centre for Cancer Cell Reprogramming, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
  • 4 Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre (BMC), Riga, Riga, Latvia

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Cancer is caused by complex interactions between genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors, making prevention strategies, including exercise, a promising avenue for intervention. Physical activity is associated with reduced cancer incidence and progression and systemic anti-cancer effects, including improved tumor suppression and prolonged survival in preclinical models. Exercise impacts the body's nutrient balance and stimulates the release of several exercise-induced factors into circulation. The mechanisms of how exercise modulates cancer energy metabolism and the tumor microenvironment through systemic effects mediated, in part, by extracellular vesicles (EVs) are still unknown. By transferring bioactive cargo such as miRNAs, proteins and metabolites, exerciseinduced EVs may influence cancer cells by altering glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation, potentially shifting metabolic plasticity -a hallmark of cancer. This short review explores the roles of EVs in cancer as mediators to reprogram cellular energy metabolism through exchanging information inside the tumor microenvironment, influencing immune cells, fibroblast and distant cells. Considering this knowledge, further functional studies into exercise-induced EVs and cellular energy production pathways could inform more specific exercise interventions to enhance cancer therapy and improve patient outcomes.

    Keywords: extracellular vesicles, Cancer, Energy Metabolism, Cancer microenvironment, physical exercise

    Received: 13 Aug 2024; Accepted: 06 Dec 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Puurand, Llorente, Linē and Kaambre. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Marju Puurand, Laboratory of Chemical Biology, National Institute of Chemical Physics and Biophysics, Tallinn, Estonia

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.