1)北京理工大学,生命学院、前沿交叉科学院、分子医学与生物诊疗重点实验室、医药分子科学与制剂工程重点实验室,北京 100081;2.3)北京理工大学,前沿技术研究院,济南 250307;3.2)天然药物及仿生药物全国重点实验室 (北京大学),北京 100871
国家自然科学基金(32371440),天然药物及仿生药物全国 重点实验室开放基金(KF2025011),国家重点研发计划 (2023YFC2605000)和山东省自然科学基金(ZR2025MS1302)资助项目。
1)School of Life Science, School of Interdisciplinary Science, Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, Key Laboratory of Medical Molecule Science and Pharmaceutics Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China;2.3)Advanced Technology Research Institute, Beijing Institute of Technology, Jinan 250307, China;3.2)State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
This work was supported by grants from The National Natural Science Foundation of China (32371440), the Open Fund of the State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs (KF2025011), the National Key Research & Development Program of China (2023YFC2605000), and the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province (ZR2025MS1302).
细胞外囊泡(extracellular vesicles,EVs)是肿瘤免疫微环境(tumor microenvironment,TME)中细胞间通讯的核心介质,依据生物发生机制可分为外泌体、微囊泡及凋亡小体,其通过携带蛋白质、核酸、脂质等生物活性分子,在肿瘤发生发展及免疫逃逸中发挥双重调控作用。不同来源的EVs组成具有显著异质性:肿瘤细胞来源EVs(tumor-derived EVs,TDEVs)富含免疫抑制分子,免疫细胞来源EVs则携带促免疫激活成分。本文系统综述了EVs的生物发生与组成特征,深入解析其在TME中介导免疫细胞-肿瘤细胞交互调控、驱动基质重构及调控代谢重编程的动态机制。重点探讨了EVs相关标志物在液体活检中的诊断价值,为肿瘤早期筛查、分型及预后评估提供支撑,以及其在免疫检查点阻断、肿瘤疫苗研发、治疗性分子递送等领域的前沿应用。此外,文章展望了工程化EVs在精准免疫治疗中的转化潜力,指出当前EVs分离纯化、亚型区分及临床规范化应用等核心挑战,并提出多组学技术与人工智能结合的未来发展方向,为基于EVs的肿瘤诊疗新策略提供全面的理论依据与应用参考。
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are pivotal mediators of intercellular communication within the tumor immune microenvironment (TME). They are broadly categorized into exosomes, microvesicles, and apoptotic bodies based on their distinct biogenesis pathways. Exosomes originate from the endosomal system via multivesicular body fusion, microvesicles bud directly from the plasma membrane, and apoptotic bodies are released during programmed cell death. By shuttling diverse bioactive cargoes—including proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids such as mRNA, miRNA, and DNA—EVs exert dual modulatory effects on tumor initiation, progression, and immune evasion. Importantly, EVs exhibit remarkable compositional heterogeneity that is intrinsically linked to their cellular origin. Tumor-derived EVs (TDEVs) are typically enriched with immunosuppressive molecules like PD-L1, TGF-β, and miR-21, which promote tumor immune escape and metastasis. In contrast, EVs derived from immune cells, such as dendritic cells or cytotoxic T lymphocytes, often carry immunostimulatory components including antigens, co-stimulatory molecules, and granzymes, thereby potentiating anti-tumor immunity. This review systematically delineates the biogenesis and molecular composition of EVs, with a particular emphasis on their dynamic regulatory functions within the TME. Specifically, we discuss how EVs mediate intricate crosstalk between immune and tumor cells, facilitating signal transfer that reshapes immune surveillance. For instance, TDEVs can induce macrophage polarization toward an M2-like pro-tumor phenotype, while also suppressing natural killer cell cytotoxicity and dendritic cell maturation. The clinical utility of EV-associated biomarkers in liquid biopsy is increasingly recognized. Circulating EVs carry tumor-specific molecular signatures that mirror the genetic and proteomic alterations of primary tumors, enabling non-invasive early diagnosis, molecular subtyping, and real-time monitoring of therapeutic responses. Their natural biocompatibility, low immunogenicity, and intrinsic ability to traverse biological barriers make them ideal candidates for drug delivery systems. This review explores cutting-edge applications, including the use of EVs in immune checkpoint blockade therapy—for instance, engineered EVs displaying anti-PD-1 antibodies or carrying siRNA to silence immunosuppressive genes. Moreover, EV-based tumor vaccines are being developed, leveraging dendritic cell-derived EVs loaded with tumor antigens to elicit potent T-cell responses. The feasibility of loading EVs with therapeutic molecules such as chemotherapeutic agents, oncolytic viruses, or CRISPR-Cas9 components is also under active investigation. The advent of engineered EVs has further expanded their therapeutic potential. Through surface modification or cargo encapsulation, EVs can be tailored for targeted delivery and controlled release, enhancing precision immunotherapy. However, several hurdles impede clinical translation. Current isolation and purification methods, such as ultracentrifugation and size-exclusion chromatography, suffer from low yield and purity. Distinguishing EV subpopulations remains technically challenging due to overlapping size and marker expression. Moreover, the lack of standardized protocols for EV production, characterization, and quality control poses significant barriers to regulatory approval and clinical adoption. Looking forward, the convergence of multi-omics technologies with artificial intelligence offers a powerful approach to decipher EV heterogeneity and identify robust diagnostic signatures. Machine learning algorithms can integrate proteomic, transcriptomic, and lipidomic data from large patient cohorts to construct predictive models for cancer diagnosis and prognosis. Concurrently, advances in bioengineering are enabling the design of next-generation EVs with enhanced targeting specificity, on-demand drug release, and reduced off-target effects. Future efforts should also focus on establishing Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)-compliant production processes and conducting rigorous preclinical and clinical evaluations. In summary, this review provides a comprehensive overview of EV biology, their multifaceted roles in the TME, and their transformative potential in cancer diagnostics and therapeutics. By addressing current challenges and leveraging emerging technologies, EV-based strategies are poised to revolutionize precision oncology.
王子琪,王静,黄渊余,陆梅.肿瘤免疫微环境中细胞外囊泡的调控机制与诊疗应用[J].生物化学与生物物理进展,,():
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