PeerJ (Apr 2022)

Exosomes and ferroptosis: roles in tumour regulation and new cancer therapies

  • Yixin Shi,
  • Bingrun Qiu,
  • Linyang Huang,
  • Jie Lin,
  • Yiling Li,
  • Yiting Ze,
  • Chenglong Huang,
  • Yang Yao

DOI
https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13238
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10
p. e13238

Abstract

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Research on the biological role of exosomes is rapidly developing, and recent evidence suggests that exosomal effects involve ferroptosis. Exosomes derived from different tissues inhibit ferroptosis, which increases tumour cell chemoresistance. Therefore, exosome-mediated regulation of ferroptosis may be leveraged to design anticancer drugs. This review discusses three pathways of exosome-mediated inhibition of ferroptosis: (1) the Fenton reaction; (2) the ferroptosis defence system, including the Xc-GSH-GPX4 axis and the FSP1/CoQ10/NAD(P)H axis; and (3) lipid peroxidation. We also summarize three recent approaches for combining exosomes and ferroptosis in oncology therapy: (1) promoting exosome-inhibited ferroptosis to enhance chemotherapy; (2) encapsulating exosomes with ferroptosis inducers to inhibit cancers; and (3) developing therapies that combine exosomal inhibitors and ferroptosis inducers. This review will contribute toward establishing effective cancer therapies.

Keywords