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REVIEW article

Front. Oncol.
Sec. Molecular and Cellular Oncology
Volume 15 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fonc.2025.1453786

Immunoregulatory Role of Exosomal CircRNAs in the Tumor Microenvironment

Provisionally accepted
Cunming Lv Cunming Lv 1*Xinyu Wei Xinyu Wei 1*Yichen Lin Yichen Lin 2*
  • 1 China Three Gorges University, Yichang, China
  • 2 Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, China

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

    As cancer incidence and mortality rates rise, there is an urgent need to develop effective immunotherapy strategies. Circular RNA (circRNA), a newly identified type of non-coding RNA, is abundant within cells and can be released via exosomes, facilitating communication between cells. Studies have demonstrated that exosomal circRNAs can alter the tumor microenvironment and modulate immune responses by influencing the functions of T cells, natural killer (NK) cells, and macrophages, thereby enabling tumors to evade the immune system. Moreover, exosomal circRNAs show potential as diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for cancer. This review summarizes the regulatory roles of exosomal circRNAs in immune cells and their potential applications in cancer progression and treatment, highlighting their promise in improving cancer immunotherapy. Future research should concentrate on understanding the mechanisms of key exosomal circRNAs and developing targeted immunotherapy methods.

    Keywords: Exosomes, circular RNAs, Tumor Microenvironment, Immunomodulation, Tumor metastasis, Signal pathway, Tumor-associated macrophages

    Received: 24 Jun 2024; Accepted: 02 Jan 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Lv, Wei and Lin. 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:
    Cunming Lv, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, China
    Xinyu Wei, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, China
    Yichen Lin, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, Zhejiang Province, China

    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.