外泌体调控肿瘤恶病质的研究进展

Research advances of exosomes in regulating tumor cachexia

肿瘤恶病质是各种恶性肿瘤晚期的主要并发症,是一种以进行性骨骼肌萎缩、脂肪组织分解、体重下降、全身脏器进行性衰竭为特征的消耗性综合征,严重影响恶性肿瘤患者的生存和生活质量。外泌体作为一种小型细胞外囊泡广泛参与肿瘤的发生、侵袭转移、耐药等生物学过程;近期研究提示,外泌体通过所运输的核酸、蛋白质等活性物质参与肿瘤恶病质的发生发展。现对外泌体在肿瘤恶病质诱发骨骼肌萎缩和脂肪组织降解方面取得的研究进展进行综述,并展望以外泌体为药物载体进行恶病质治疗的前景,以期为肿瘤恶病质的治疗提供新的策略。

Cancer cachexia is the main complication observed at the late stage of several kinds of malignant tumors. It is a kind of metabolic syndrome, which leads to serious body weight loss characterized with skeletal muscle atrophy, lipolysis and multiple organ failure. Cancer cachexia influences the survival and life quality of patients seriously. Exosomes, as a kind of small extracellular vesicles, have been linked with tumorgenesis, metastasis and resistance to chemotherapy. Recent studies suggested that exosomes might also be involved in the development of cancer cachexia by transferring nucleic acids and proteins. In this review, we would summarize the advances in studies about exosomes in the muscle atrophy and lipolysis of cancer cachexia. The potential of using drug-carrying exosomes in the treatment of cancer cachexia was also discussed to provide a new strategy for cancer cachexia therapy.