About this Research Topic
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) consist of a group of heterogeneous nanosized vesicles secreted by almost all types of cells, including cancer cells. EVs are critical mediators in intercellular communication and are involved in tumor development, growth, metastasis and chemoresistance. The identification and characterization of EVs cargo (nucleic acids, proteins, lipids, and metabolites) can be potentially used as new or supplementary biomarkers in liquid biopsy approaches, as EVs have been isolated in almost all body fluids.
Different types of tumors can affect bones: malignant (osteosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma, chondrosarcoma, fibrosarcoma, chordoma, giant cell tumor, etc..) or benign (osteoid osteoma, osteoblastoma, osteochondroma, enchondroma, etc..) and metastatic tumors.
The relationship among cells (osteoblasts, osteoclasts, endothelial cells, cancer stem cells, fibroblasts/stromal cells and immune cells, etc..) and bone microenvironment signals (oxygen tension, mechanical loading, etc..) may be mediated by extracellular vesicles and their cargo. Thus, a deeper knowledge on EVs secretion, uptake, and molecular cargo will unveil new pathological mechanisms or potential therapeutic targets to improve bone tumors management.
Additionally, because of the complexity of bone tumors' microenvironment, drug delivery has limited anticancer effects. In this context, EVs, both “natural” and synthetic may improve drug uptake and efficacy.
Given the increasing interest in EVs, in this special issue we invite authors to submit their original research and review articles focused on:
- Roles of EVs in intercellular communication in bone tumors
- Roles of EVs in bone metastatic processes
- Roles of EVs to mediate bone tumor microenvironment stimuli
- Identification of targets in EVs cargo to improve diagnosis or to follow treatment responsiveness
- Use of EVs to improve drug delivery in bone tumors
Please note: manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics or computational analysis of public genomic or transcriptomic databases which are not accompanied by validation (independent cohort or biological validation in vitro or in vivo) are out of scope for this section and will not be accepted as part of this Research Topic.
Different types of tumors can affect bones: malignant (osteosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma, chondrosarcoma, fibrosarcoma, chordoma, giant cell tumor, etc..) or benign (osteoid osteoma, osteoblastoma, osteochondroma, enchondroma, etc..) and metastatic tumors.
The relationship among cells (osteoblasts, osteoclasts, endothelial cells, cancer stem cells, fibroblasts/stromal cells and immune cells, etc..) and bone microenvironment signals (oxygen tension, mechanical loading, etc..) may be mediated by extracellular vesicles and their cargo. Thus, a deeper knowledge on EVs secretion, uptake, and molecular cargo will unveil new pathological mechanisms or potential therapeutic targets to improve bone tumors management.
Additionally, because of the complexity of bone tumors' microenvironment, drug delivery has limited anticancer effects. In this context, EVs, both “natural” and synthetic may improve drug uptake and efficacy.
Given the increasing interest in EVs, in this special issue we invite authors to submit their original research and review articles focused on:
- Roles of EVs in intercellular communication in bone tumors
- Roles of EVs in bone metastatic processes
- Roles of EVs to mediate bone tumor microenvironment stimuli
- Identification of targets in EVs cargo to improve diagnosis or to follow treatment responsiveness
- Use of EVs to improve drug delivery in bone tumors
Please note: manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics or computational analysis of public genomic or transcriptomic databases which are not accompanied by validation (independent cohort or biological validation in vitro or in vivo) are out of scope for this section and will not be accepted as part of this Research Topic.
Keywords: extracellular vesicles, bone tumors, drug delivery, liquid biopsy, tumor microenvironment, metastasis
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
