[65] and [67] One has to bear in mind, however, that in vivo the situation may be far more complex because such vesicles may also inhibit the interaction between cancer cells and ECs. Patients with stage 3 or 4 melanomas have increased levels of phosphorylated MET, a receptor tyrosine kinase, in tumor exosomes, and circulating bone marrow progenitor cells from these patients also show an increased expression of

phosphorylated MET compared to cells from healthy volunteers.68 In a mouse melanoma model, tumor-derived exosomes promote tumor cell proliferation by transfer of MET to bone marrow cells.68 Thus, tumor-derived exosomes are likely to transfer MET and educate bone marrow progenitor cells to support tumor growth PFT�� datasheet selleck screening library and metastasis in vivo. Tumor exosomes transfer

mutant epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFRvIII) RNA into platelets. Nilsson et al.69 showed that platelets, after incubation with vesicles from EGFRvIII-positive glioma cells, contain EGFRvIII RNA. In addition, they showed that EGFRvIII RNA was detectable in platelets from 80% of the EGFRvIII-positive glioma patients, but absent in platelets from healthy individuals. The presence of tumor-associated messages is apparently not unique for platelets from glioma patients, because platelets from prostate cancer patients—but not from healthy controls—contain RNA encoding the prostate cancer marker PCA3. However, one must bear in mind that platelets and vesicles overlap in size (diameter), and isolation and purification of either platelets without contaminating vesicles or vesicles without contaminating platelets is and will likely remain a tremendous challenge. This may lead to misinterpretation of results on the exact origin of certain components. Moreover, isolated vesicles also contain DNA, which further complicates analysis and interpretation of results. Transfer of receptors Tolmetin by EVs can also support intracellular signaling. Human umbilical vein ECs produce exosomes that contain Delta-like 4 (Dll4), a notch ligand that is up-regulated during angiogenesis. D114 is transferred between ECs by exosomes in vitro and in vivo, suggesting that such exosomes are indeed capable of transferring Delta

like/Notch signaling to recipient cells.70 After treatment with chemotherapeutic drugs, tumor cells release vesicles which contain the corresponding drugs. Experiments with cisplatin10 and doxorubicin11 on cultured resistance cancer cell lines confirm drug accumulation and expulsion in shed vesicles. Although these studies show that the release of vesicles may support tumor cell survival by removing the chemotherapeutic drug, the relative contributions of exosomes to reduce the intracellular drug concentration, however, is thought to be modest.71 Alternatively, MVs can transfer multidrug transporters, such as P-glycoprotein (P-gp), between cells. MVs released from drug-resistant cancer cells in vitro transfer functional P-gp to drug-sensitive cells.