Extracellular Vesicles in Human Diseases

**89**

**Chapter 5**

**Abstract**

cancers.

**1. Introduction**

potential resource for biomarkers.

Extracellular Vesicles in Cancer

*Luciana Pavelescu, Dragos Cretoiu, Antonia Teona Deftu,* 

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) represent a generic term for all the secreted vesicles, which include exosomes, microvesicles, and apoptotic bodies. EVs are key partners in the intercellular communication and play an essential role in multiple physiological and pathological conditions. EVs are shuttles for cargo molecules, such as RNA (mRNA, microRNA, and other noncoding RNAs), DNA, proteins (receptors, transcription factors, enzymes, and extracellular matrix proteins), and lipids. In pathological states, including cancer, EVs might represent either useful biomarkers or can be used for therapeutic purposes. Moreover, in cancer, it was demonstrated that EVs play an essential role in drug resistance. Here, we review the role played by EVs in the most common forms of cancer, with a special focus on ovarian and breast

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are cell-derived membranous vesicles (from normal

or cancerous cells) bearing packages of information within or on their surface. Their content can influence neighboring or remote cells, and therefore, EVs are considered to play an important role in intercellular communication [1]. Different functional molecules (proteins, mRNA, and microRNAs) are transferred between cells with the aid of EVs. The content of EVs is highly variable and dependent of the cell of origin. The EVs in human blood originate from platelets, leukocytes, erythrocytes, endothelial cells, vascular smooth muscle cells, and cancer cells (for review see [2]). It is now widely accepted that extracellular vesicles also represent a

The first study suggesting the existence of extracellular vesicles was carried out in 1946 [3]. In a 1967 report, membrane particles derived from activated platelets, termed "platelet dust," were commonly considered as a waste product or cellular debris directly budded from the plasma membrane [4]. Both prokaryotes and higher eukaryotes can release EVs. Different terms are used to describe EVs due to varying methods of isolation and due to the biogenesis mechanism. The terminologies of EVs include microvesicles, dexosomes, texosomes, archaeosomes, argosomes, prostasomes, epididymosomes, and oncosomes [5]. Gradually, while building up knowledge about EVs, a need for its classification emerged and the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles (ISEV) was founded [6]. This society

*Andrei-Dennis Voichitoiu, Beatrice Mihaela Radu,* 

**Keywords:** extracellular vesicles, cancer, biomarker, cargo, therapy

*Nicolae Suciu and Sanda Maria Cretoiu*
