Özet:

Exosomes; are bioactive receptors which is indirectly originating from the cell membrane. The dimensions vary between 50-140 nm. The most important features distinguishing exosomes from other extracellular vesicles (microvesicles and apoptotic bodies) are their unique biogenesis pathways, lipid compositions, and RNA cargos (mRNA, miRNA, lncRNA) they carry. Exosomes that play a role in cell-cell interaction by virtue of their RNA content can alter the transcriptome and function of the cell with the RNA strands they carry when transferred to the recipient cell. It has also been identified that they carry nucleic acids (DNA, RNA), proteins, nucleoproteins and various enzymes for use in signal transduction. Exosomes are also secreted by cancer cells and tumor-associated stromal cells as they are secreted from healthy cells under physiological conditions. Through the exosomes, autocrine, paracrine and endocrine communication is established between cancer cells. Although exosomal secretion is a normal process, the increase in rate and exosomal mediated transfer of different cargos (oncogenic signals) may mediate oncogenic progression and metastasis. The increase in exosomal quantities and altered cargo expression can be considered as a powerful biomarker for altering normal physiological conditions and can be used to diagnose cancer and many other diseases. Exosomes can be obtained by ultracentrifugation from body fluids such as blood, plasma, cerebrospinal fluid, bile, breast milk, amniotic fluid, saliva, urine and can be evaluated for molecular components such as DNA, RNA, miRNA, and proteins. In addition, as they are derived from the plasma membrane, they are inherently liposomal and nano-sized and can easily move through the blood-brain barrier, due to their protein-lipid content in their membranes. Although exosomes are associated with many types of cancer, they are also important in lung cancer. It has been showed that exosomes are increasing lung endothelial permeability and lung metastasis, and also plays an important role in angiogenesis in lung cancer. As a result, exosomes are smart munchkins carrying cargo between cells and have the ability to convert healthy cells to carcinoma according to the cargo that they carry. They can also be obtained from whole-body fluids and can be used for targeted treatment with their ability to enter the cells easily and to carry them in circulation.