Cancer Lett 2012 Feb;315 (1): 28-37. [IF:4.864]
Exosomes derived from human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells promote tumor growth in vivo.
Zhu W , Huang L , Li Y , Zhang X , Gu J , Yan Y , Xu X , Wang M , Qian H , Xu W .
School of Medical Science and Laboratory Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China.
江苏大学，江苏医学实验室
Abstract
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can promote tumor growth in a mouse xenograft model, but the exact mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects of bone marrow MSC-derived exosomes (MSC-exosomes) on tumor growth in vitro and in vivo. Our results showed that MSC-exosomes promoted tumor growth in vivo. MSC-exosomes enhanced vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in tumor cells by activating extracellular signal-regulated kinase1/2 (ERK1/2) pathway. Inhibition of ERK1/2 activation reserved the increase of VEGF level by MSC-exosomes. Our findings demonstrate a new mechanism through which MSC-exosome-mediated cell-cell interactions may contribute to tumor progression.
