Table 1.
Roles of exosomes/exosomal cargo contents in regulating cancer radiosensitivity
| Exosomes/Exosomal contents | Cancer types | Mechanism | Function | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exosomes (↑) | HNSCC | Increase DNA double-strand break repair and promote proliferation | Promote radioresistance | [34] |
| Exosome miR-9 (↑) | HPV + HNSCC | Polarize macrophages into M1 phenotype via downregulating PPARγ | Promote radiosensitivity | [35] |
| Exosome miR-34c(↑) | NPC | Block the EMT process by directly targeting β-catenin | Promote radiosensitivity | [37] |
| Exosome circMYC (↑) | NPC | Sponge miR-20b-5p and let-7e-3p | Promote radioresistance | [38] |
| LMP1-positive exosomes (↑) | NPC | Stimulate p38 MAPK signaling through the exosomal transfer of LMP1 to recipient cells | Promote radioresistance | [30] |
| Exosome miR-340-5P(↑) | ESCC | Alleviate radiation-induced apoptosis and accelerate DNA damage repair by directly targeting KLF10 | Promote radioresistance | [29] |
| Exosome miR-339-5p(↑) | ESCC | Directly target Cdc25A | Promote radiosensitivity | [46] |
| Exosome NORAD(↓) | ESCC | Promote exosomal miR-199a-5p dispersion | Promote radiosensitivity | [47] |
| Exosome miR-208a(↑) | NSCLC | Target p21 with a corresponding activation of the AKT/mTOR pathway | Promote radioresistance | [48] |
| Exosome miR-1246(↑) | NSCLC | Target the DR5 | Promote radioresistance | [49] |
| Exosome miR-26b-5p(↑) | LUAD | Target ATF2 in DNA damage | Promote radiosensitivity | [53] |
| Exosome lncRNA AGAP2-AS1(↑) | NSCLC | Downregulate miR-296 and upregulate NOTCH2 | Promote radioresistance | [54] |
| Exosome HSP70(↑) | NSCLC | Synthesize hypoxia-related genes | Promote radioresistance | [55] |
| Exosomes(↑) | CRC | Promote colorectal cancer stem cell phenotype | Promote radioresistance | [61] |
| Exosome miR-590-3p(↑) | CRC | Regulate the CLCA4-dependent PI3K/Akt signaling pathway positively | Promote radioresistance | [62] |
| Exosome miR-93-5p(↑) | CRC | Downregulate FOXA1 and upregulate TGFB3 | Promote radioresistance | [63] |
| Exosome miR-19b(↑) | CRC | Target FBXWT to promote colorectal cancer stem cell stemness | Promote radioresistance | [64] |
| Exosome circ-0067835(↓) | CRC | Upregulate miR-296-5p and downregulate IGFIR | Promote radiosensitivity | [31] |
| Exosome AHIF (↑) | Glioblastoma | AHIF-mediated p53 downregulation and anti-apoptosis | Promote radioresistance | [77] |
| Exosome miR-301a (↑) | Glioblastoma | Directly target TCEAL7, TCEAL7 negatively regulate the Wnt/β-catenin pathway | Promote radioresistance | [78] |
| Exosome circ-METRN (↑) | Glioblastoma | MiR-4709-3p/GRB14/PDGFRα pathway | Promote radioresistance | [82] |
| Exosomes (↑) | Glioblastoma | Increase oncogenic miRNAs、mRNAs and pro-survival proteasome pathway;decrease levels of tumor-suppressive miRNAs and mRNAs | Promote radioresistance | [83] |
| Exosome circATP8B4(↑) | Glioblastoma | MiR766 sponge | Promote radioresistance | [84] |
| Exosomes (↑) | Neuroblastoma | Activate downstream dependent survival pathway | Promote radioresistance | [86] |
| Exosome miR-194-5p (↑) | Pancreatic cancer | Enhance DNA damage response in TRCs | Promote radioresistance | [87] |
| Exosomes (↑) | Prostate cancer | Induce autophagy | Promote radiosensitivity | [89, 90] |
| Exosome HSP DNAJB8(↑) | Renal cell carcinoma | Maintain RCC CSCs/CICs | Promote radioresistance | [92, 93] |
| Exosome survivin(↑) | cervical carcinoma | Bystander effect | Promote radioresistance | [95] |
| Exosome miR-22(↑) | cervical carcinoma | Upregulate apoptotic pathway | Promote radiosensitivity | [96] |
| Exosomes (↑) | Melanoma | Stimulate tumor cell death | Promote radiosensitivity | [97] |
| Exosomes (↑) | Breast cancer | Induce autophagy | Promote radiosensitivity | [89, 90] |
| Exosomes (↑) | Breast cancer | Paracrine and juxtacrine signaling | Promote radiosensitivity | [98] |
| Exosomes proteome (↑) | Breast cancer | Hypoxic microenvironments; upregulate pro-survival factors | Promote radioresistance | [99] |
| Exosomes (↑) | Breast cancer | Increase the activity of exosomal secretory pathway | Promote radioresistance | [79] |
HNSCC: Head and neck squamous cell cancer; NPC: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma; ESCC: Esophageal squamous carcinoma; NSCLC: Non—small cell lung cancer; LUAD: Lung adenocarcinoma; CRC: Colorectal cancer