Therapeutic Exosomes for Head and Neck Cancer

Head and Neck Cancer (HNC) is the seventh most common cancer in the world. Numerous studies have shown that HNC-derived exosomes promote the deterioration of HNC. According to a large number of reported exosomes targeting various tumors, it is extremely easy to realize that exosomes loaded with nucleic acids, proteins, or drugs can effectively target and treat HNC in vivo. With a professional team of scientists and a leading exosome drug research platform, Creative Biolabs can work with customers to explore exosome drugs targeting HNC.

The Role of Exosomes in Head and Neck Cancer (HNC)

HNC is an umbrella term for a large group of cancers, which are tumors located in the mouth, nose, pharynx, larynx, sinuses, and salivary glands. Thus, HNC includes cervical tumors (e.g., thyroid cancer), otorhinolaryngologic tumors (e.g., laryngeal and nasopharyngeal cancers), and oral and maxillofacial tumors. The early symptoms of HNC are not obvious, and common symptoms are easily confused with the inflammation of the mouth, nose, and throat in daily life, such as oral ulcers, foreign body sensation in the throat, nasal congestion, nosebleeds, voice changes, etc. As a result, most patients were diagnosed in the middle and late stages. Another type of red flag is swollen lymph nodes in the face and neck. The early symptoms of these swollen lymph nodes may not be obvious and are usually firm and painless bumps. Seeing a doctor too late is an important reason why HNC is difficult to treat. HNC-derived exosomes promote HNC development by inhibiting the function of immune cells, activating regulatory T cells (Tregs) and Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). As the main components of tumor stroma, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) secrete a large number of cytokines, chemokines, and extracellular matrix components, which are involved in tumor growth and metastasis. CAFs-derived exosomal miR-196a in HNC promotes tumorigenesis in the HNC microenvironment by targeting CDKN1B and ING5, resulting in cisplatin resistance of CAFs. Another study showed that exosomes can recognize each other with receptors on epithelial cells to induce epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

Fig.1. A macroscopic view of the functions of HNC exosomes in the tumor microenvironment. (Cao, 2020)

Fig.2. A proposed model illustrating the modulatory role of CAF-derived exosomal miR-196a in regulating HNC cell proliferation and cisplatin resistance. (Qin, 2019)

HNC-related Therapeutic Exosomes

Although exosomes have been found to play an important role in the deterioration of HNC, exosomes with therapeutic effects on HNC have not yet been identified. Generally speaking, radiotherapy is one of the main means of treatment of HNC. However, radiation oral mucositis (OM) occurs in more than 80% of patients receiving radiation therapy. Emerging plant-derived exosomes are expected to be an effective therapeutic modality for disease treatment or drug delivery. The researchers found that the concentration of exosomes in grapes is 1.76 mg/g, which is suitable for large-scale production. Grape-derived exosomes (grape-Exo) have been used to prevent OM associated with HNC chemoradiotherapy. At present, the grape-Exo has entered the clinical phase I stage.

Fig.3. A schematic diagram of plant-derived exosome-like nanoparticles and their therapeutic activities. (Kim, 2022)

Creative Biolabs can provide a one-stop service for exosome drug research. We can extract not only mammalian-derived exosomes but also plant-derived exosomes. We look forward to exploring exosome drugs for HNC with you, please feel free to contact us to discuss your project.

References

Cao, J.; Zhang, M.; et al. Exosomes in head and neck cancer: Roles, mechanisms and applications. Cancer Letters. 2020, 494:7-16.
Qin, X.; Guo, H.; et al. Exosomal miR-196a derived from cancer-associated fibroblasts confers cisplatin resistance in head and neck cancer through targeting CDKN1B and ING5. Genome Biology. 2019, 20(1):12.
Kim, J.; Li, S.; et al. Plant-derived exosome-like nanoparticles and their therapeutic activities. Asian Journal Pharmaceutical Sciences. 2022, 17(1):53-69.