Key functions of exosomal TGF-β
Function of exosomal TGF-β | Mechanism | Resulting effect | Cancer type(s) | Reference(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Fibroblast differentiation and activation | Activates SMAD-dependent signaling upon internalization into fibroblasts. | Promotes differentiation of fibroblasts into CAFs, enhances CAF marker expression. | Prostate cancer, bladder cancer, gastric cancer, and lung adenocarcinoma. | [89–91, 103] |
ECM remodeling | Enhances LOX activity, leading to collagen cross-linking. | Stiffens the ECM, creating a favorable environment for metastasis development. | General (tumor microenvironment). | [87, 103] |
Angiogenesis promotion | Stimulates angiogenesis via myofibroblast phenotype. | Enhances tumor growth in vivo. | Prostate cancer. | [89] |
MSC modulation | TGF-β interaction with receptors on MSCs. | Increases synthesis and release of pro-inflammatory IL-6, supporting metastasis via immunosuppression. | Osteosarcoma, chronic myeloid leukemia. | [92, 95, 96] |
Non-coding RNA-mediated signaling | Delivery of circPAGRGL, miR-21-5p, miR-92, miR-142-3p, and miR-506-3p via exosomes. | Induces TGF-β expression, enhances cell proliferation and metastasis, promotes EMT, and supports phenotypic switch of neutrophils to pro-tumorigenic N2. | Colorectal cancer, gastric cancer, and lung cancer. | [93, 94, 100] |
Premetastatic niche formation | Activation of TGF-β signaling in hepatic Kupffer cells and stellate cells. | Remodels liver tissue, making it more favorable for metastasis by stimulating fibronectin and collagen type I production. | Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, lung cancer. | [98, 100] |
EMT induction | Activation of SMAD2/3 signaling. | Promotes a more motile and invasive mesenchymal phenotype, enhancing migration and invasion. | General (ovarian cancer). | [104] |
Immune suppression | Transfer of TGF-β1 to tumor-infiltrating natural killer cells. | Impairs NK cell functioning via TGF-β/SMAD pathway activation, supports immune evasion of quiescent cells. | Renal cell carcinoma. | [105] |
Macrophage reprogramming | Stimulation of macrophage chemotaxis and reprogramming. | Promotes proangiogenic phenotype in macrophages, characterized by upregulation of proangiogenic factors. | Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. | [80] |
CAFs: cancer-associated fibroblasts; ECM: extracellular matrix; EMT: epithelial-mesenchymal transition; LOX: lysyl oxidase; MSC: mesenchymal stem cell; TGF-β: transforming growth factor-β
TR: Conceptualization, Investigation, Project administration, Supervision, Visualization, Writing—original draft, Writing—review & editing. NP: Data curation, Investigation, Writing—original draft, Writing—review & editing.
The authors report no conflicts of interest.
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