Exosomal circRNA: emerging insights into cancer progression and clinical application potential

• Published in: Journal of hematology and oncology Vol. 16; no. 1; p. 67
• Main Authors: Zhang, Fan, Jiang, Jiajia, Qian, Hui, Yan, Yongmin, Xu, Wenrong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 26.06.2023; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Angiogenesis; Antigens; Biomarker; Biomarkers; Biopsy; Biosynthesis; Cancer; Cancer therapies; Cancer therapy; Care and treatment; Cell interactions; Cell proliferation; Cells; circRNA; Circular RNA; Communication; Development and progression; Drug metabolism; Drug resistance; Exosome; Exosomes - genetics; Fibroblasts; Hematology; Humans; Lipids; Liver cancer; Lymphocytes; Metabolism; Metabolites; Metastases; Metastasis; Microenvironments; Nanoparticles; Neoplasms - genetics; Neutrophils; Oncology; Proteins; Review; RNA, Circular; Therapeutic targets; Tumor cells; Tumor immunity; Tumor metabolism; Tumor Microenvironment; Tumor necrosis factor-TNF; Tumors; Biomarker; Tumor metabolism; Tumor immunity; circRNA; Exosome; Cancer therapy
• ISSN: 1756-8722; 1756-8722
• DOI: 10.1186/s13045-023-01452-2

Exosomal circRNA serves a novel genetic information molecule, facilitating communication between tumor cells and microenvironmental cells, such as immune cells, fibroblasts, and other components, thereby regulating critical aspects of cancer progression including immune escape, tumor angiogenesis, metabolism, drug resistance, proliferation and metastasis. Interestingly, microenvironment cells have new findings in influencing tumor progression and immune escape mediated by the release of exosomal circRNA. Given the intrinsic stability, abundance, and broad distribution of exosomal circRNAs, they represent excellent diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for liquid biopsy. Moreover, artificially synthesized circRNAs may open up new possibilities for cancer therapy, potentially bolstered by nanoparticles or plant exosome delivery strategies. In this review, we summarize the functions and underlying mechanisms of tumor cell and non-tumor cell-derived exosomal circRNAs in cancer progression, with a special focus on their roles in tumor immunity and metabolism. Finally, we examine the potential application of exosomal circRNAs as diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets, highlighting their promise for clinical use.