Recent studies accumulatively showed that nano- to microsized extracellular vesicles (EVs) were responsible for proximally as well as systemically intercellular communication under both normal and pathophysiological conditions, including cancer. EVs are naturally occurring cargo-bearing packages of functional biomolecules including lipids, proteins, and RNA species (including mRNA, miRNA, lncRNA, and circRNA). They are secreted by many types of cells and have been detected in various biofluids, such as plasma, urine, saliva, amniotic fluid, bile, and gastric acid.
Several examples of EV biomarkers have been identified and documented for the diagnosis, prognosis prediction and evaluation of treatment effects of specific types of cancers. Intriguingly, cancer-derived EVs loaded with therapeutic and diagnostic agents are of high biocompatibility. Meanwhile, they are very versatile since they can selectively deliver theranostic cargo to neoplastic tissue, whether it comes from the same tissue origin or from different cancer types. From bench to bedside, the new EVs-interfering approach becomes an attractive strategy in the personalized cancer diagnosis and therapy.
Gastrointestinal cancers represent a major public health problem worldwide, with substantial morbidity and mortality. There is an urgent need for improved liquid biopsy tools and new biomarkers for gastrointestinal cancers detection. Meanwhile, although many approaches have been proposed, the selective intracancer cell delivery of therapeutics has always been one of the main challenges of gastrointestinal cancers therapy.
This Research Topic intends to give an overview of how EVs-mediated intercellular communication can regulate carcinogenesis and development of gastrointestinal cancers and how EVs represent an effective diagnostic tool for specific gastrointestinal cancers on account of the biological characteristics of their membrane surface. Moreover, the use of these extracellular vesicles as drug delivery systems for gastrointestinal cancers therapy will also be discussed, envisioning a future effective therapeutic alternative.
We welcome submissions of Original Research, Review, Mini Review, Methods, Perspective, Case Report, and Clinical Trial, focusing on the following aspects:
• Extracellular vesicles as a new class of biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis prediction and evaluation of treatment effects of gastrointestinal cancers
• Extracellular vesicles as targets for targeted therapy and immunotherapy for gastrointestinal cancers
• Novel materials, methods and technologies for the detection, separation and tracing of extracellular vesicles in gastrointestinal cancers
• The role and mechanism of extracellular vesicles in mediating intercellular communication and tumor microenvironment remodeling in gastrointestinal cancers
• Clinical trials and case report of extracellular vesicles in the diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal cancers
Please note: Descriptive transcriptomics studies as well as those consisting solely of bioinformatic investigation of publicly available genomic / transcriptomic data without experimental or in situ validation to support conclusions are not in scope for this Section.
Recent studies accumulatively showed that nano- to microsized extracellular vesicles (EVs) were responsible for proximally as well as systemically intercellular communication under both normal and pathophysiological conditions, including cancer. EVs are naturally occurring cargo-bearing packages of functional biomolecules including lipids, proteins, and RNA species (including mRNA, miRNA, lncRNA, and circRNA). They are secreted by many types of cells and have been detected in various biofluids, such as plasma, urine, saliva, amniotic fluid, bile, and gastric acid.
Several examples of EV biomarkers have been identified and documented for the diagnosis, prognosis prediction and evaluation of treatment effects of specific types of cancers. Intriguingly, cancer-derived EVs loaded with therapeutic and diagnostic agents are of high biocompatibility. Meanwhile, they are very versatile since they can selectively deliver theranostic cargo to neoplastic tissue, whether it comes from the same tissue origin or from different cancer types. From bench to bedside, the new EVs-interfering approach becomes an attractive strategy in the personalized cancer diagnosis and therapy.
Gastrointestinal cancers represent a major public health problem worldwide, with substantial morbidity and mortality. There is an urgent need for improved liquid biopsy tools and new biomarkers for gastrointestinal cancers detection. Meanwhile, although many approaches have been proposed, the selective intracancer cell delivery of therapeutics has always been one of the main challenges of gastrointestinal cancers therapy.
This Research Topic intends to give an overview of how EVs-mediated intercellular communication can regulate carcinogenesis and development of gastrointestinal cancers and how EVs represent an effective diagnostic tool for specific gastrointestinal cancers on account of the biological characteristics of their membrane surface. Moreover, the use of these extracellular vesicles as drug delivery systems for gastrointestinal cancers therapy will also be discussed, envisioning a future effective therapeutic alternative.
We welcome submissions of Original Research, Review, Mini Review, Methods, Perspective, Case Report, and Clinical Trial, focusing on the following aspects:
• Extracellular vesicles as a new class of biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis prediction and evaluation of treatment effects of gastrointestinal cancers
• Extracellular vesicles as targets for targeted therapy and immunotherapy for gastrointestinal cancers
• Novel materials, methods and technologies for the detection, separation and tracing of extracellular vesicles in gastrointestinal cancers
• The role and mechanism of extracellular vesicles in mediating intercellular communication and tumor microenvironment remodeling in gastrointestinal cancers
• Clinical trials and case report of extracellular vesicles in the diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal cancers
Please note: Descriptive transcriptomics studies as well as those consisting solely of bioinformatic investigation of publicly available genomic / transcriptomic data without experimental or in situ validation to support conclusions are not in scope for this Section.