Guest Editor(s)
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- Prof. Andrew K. Godwin, PhD
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA.
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- Dr. Sagar Rayamajhi, PhD
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA.
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- Dr. Vikalp Vishwakarma, PhD
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA.
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Special Issue Introduction
Growing evidence indicated that extracellular vesicles (EVs), including ectosomes or shedding microvesicles, apoptotic bodies, and exosomes, can be released by almost all cell types and can facilitate intercellular communication and mediate/regulate a variety of biological functions in recipient cells. Extracellular vesicle, according to the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles, is the "generic term for particles naturally released from the cell that are delimited by a lipid bilayer and cannot replicate". EVs shuttle specific lipids, nucleic acids, and proteins from their cell of origin to nearby and distant cells. Some investigators loosely applied the term exosome, formed from the Greek "exo" ("outside") and "soma" ("body"), to describe small EVs of endocytic in origin. Nevertheless, the study of small EVs in the pathogenesis of diseases, including cancer, has grown exponentially. EVs have been shown to participate in various steps involved in the development and progression of malignant tumors by initiating or suppressing various signaling pathways in recipient cells. Although tumor-associated EVs are known for orchestrating tumor progression via systemic pathways, EVs from non-malignant cells also contribute to malignant tumor development. Tumor cells and non-malignant cells typically communicate with each other, both determining the progress of the disease. In this Special Issue in Journal of Cancer Metastasis and Treatment, we request novel studies evaluating the role of EVs in cancer progression and metastasis. The physiological and pathological effects involved include but are not limited to the role of tumor-derived EVs in (1) the transfer of oncogenic cargo content to promote tumor progression; (2) facilitating premetastatic niche formation and tumor microenvironment remodeling; and (3) altering tumor-specific immune response and resistance to therapeutics. Studies focused on the future directions of the clinical application of EVs, including cancer early detection, diagnosis, and monitoring of response to therapy and their potential role as biopharmaceuticals are also welcomed.
Keywords
Extracellular vesicles, ectosomes/microvesicles, exosomes, tumor promotion, tumor microenvironment, overcoming resistance to therapy, cancer therapeutics, metastasis
Submission Deadline
30 Oct 2023
Journal of Cancer Metastasis and Treatment
