The Role of Exosomes in the Crosstalk between Adipocytes and Liver Cancer Cells

• Main Authors: Leslimar Rios-Colon, Elena Arthur, Suryakant Niture, Qi Qi, John T. Moore, Deepak Kumar
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-08-01
• Series: Cells
• Subjects: hepatocellular carcinoma; obesity; adipocytes; exosomes; adipocyte exosomes; exosomal cargo
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/9/9/1988

Exosomes are membrane-bound extracellular vesicles (EVs) that transport bioactive materials between cells and organs. The cargo delivered by exosomes can alter a wide range of cellular responses in recipient cells and play an important pathophysiological role in human cancers. In hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), for example, adipocyte- and tumor-secreted factors contained in exosomes contribute to the creation of a chronic inflammatory state, which contributes to disease progression. The exosome-mediated crosstalk between adipocytes and liver cancer cells is a key aspect of a dynamic tumor microenvironment. In this review, we summarize the role of increased adiposity and the role of adipocyte-derived exosomes (AdExos) and HCC-derived exosomes (HCCExos) in the modulation of HCC progression. We also discuss recent advances regarding how malignant cells interact with the surrounding adipose tissue and employ exosomes to promote a more aggressive phenotype.