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REVIEW article

Front. Pharmacol.
Sec. Pharmacology of Anti-Cancer Drugs
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1438177

Unveiling the multifaceted roles of microRNAs in extracellular vesicles derived from mesenchymal stem cells: implications in tumor progression and therapeutic interventions

Provisionally accepted
Xu He Xu He *Sujia Hu Sujia Hu *Chang Zhang Chang Zhang *Qianhui Ma Qianhui Ma *Minghe Li Minghe Li *Xiao Yu Xiao Yu *Haiying Zhang Haiying Zhang *Shuang Lv Shuang Lv *Yingai Shi Yingai Shi *
  • Jilin University, Changchun, China

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

    Abstract: Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) have the capacity to migrate to tumor sites in vivo and transmit paracrine signals by secreting extracellular vesicles (EVs) to regulate tumor biological behaviors. MSC-derived EVs (MSC-EVs) have similar tumor tropism and pro- or anti-tumorigenesis as their parental cells and exhibit superior properties in drug delivery. MSC-EVs can transfer microRNAs (miRNAs) to tumor cells, thereby manipulating multiple key cancer-related pathways, and further playing a vital role in the tumor growth, metastasis, drug resistance and other aspects. In addition, tumor cells can also influence the behaviors of MSCs in the tumor microenvironment (TME), orchestrating this regulatory process via miRNAs in EVs (EV-miRNAs). Clarifying the specific mechanism by which MSC-derived EV-miRNAs regulate tumor progression, as well as investigating the roles of EV-miRNAs in the TME will contribute to their applications in tumor pharmacotherapy. This article mainly reviews the multifaceted roles and mechanism of miRNAs in MSC-EVs affecting tumor progression, the crosstalk between MSCs and tumor cells caused by EV-miRNAs in the TME. Eventually, the clinical applications of miRNAs in MSC-EVs in tumor therapeutics are illustrated.

    Keywords: Mesenchymal Stem Cells, extracellular vesicles, MicroRNAs, tumor progression, Tumor therapeutic applications

    Received: 25 May 2024; Accepted: 23 Jul 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 He, Hu, Zhang, Ma, Li, Yu, Zhang, Lv and Shi. 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:
    Xu He, Jilin University, Changchun, China
    Sujia Hu, Jilin University, Changchun, China
    Chang Zhang, Jilin University, Changchun, China
    Qianhui Ma, Jilin University, Changchun, China
    Minghe Li, Jilin University, Changchun, China
    Xiao Yu, Jilin University, Changchun, China
    Haiying Zhang, Jilin University, Changchun, China
    Shuang Lv, Jilin University, Changchun, China
    Yingai Shi, Jilin University, Changchun, 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.