Exosomal miR-93-5p as an important driver of bladder cancer progression

Tumor-derived exosomal miR-1247-3p promotes angiogenesis in bladder cancer by targeting FOXO1

Tumor-derived exosomes are highly correlated with tumor progression and angiogenesis. This study was designed to probe the role of tumor-derived exosomal miR-1247-3p in mediating the angiogenesis in bladder cancer. Exosomes isolation from the culture medium of normal or bladder cancer cell lines was performed using a differential centrifugation method. miR-1247-3p expression in exosomes and cells was detected by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). The effect of exosomes on the angiogenesis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) was assessed using cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), transwell and tube formation assays. The interaction between miR-1247-3p and forkhead box protein O1 (FOXO1) was studied using luciferase reporter and RNA pull down assays. Exosomes were successfully isolated from T24, UM-UC-3, and SV-HUC-1 cells, as confirmed by corresponding identifications. Functional experiments revealed that exosomes derived from T24 and UM-UC-3 cells significantly enhanced the abilities of proliferation, migration, angiogenesis, and vascular endothelial-derived growth factor (VEGF) secretion in HUVECs. miR-1247-3p was highly expressed in exosomes derived from T24 and UM-UC-3 cells, and exosomes derived from miR-1247-3p inhibitor-transfected cells reduced HUVEC viability, migration, tube formation, and VEGF level. FOXO1 was confirmed as a direct target of miR-1247-3p. Rescue assays suggested that the effect of miR-1247-3p inhibition on the viability, migration, and angiogenesis of HUVECs was partly abrogated by the knockdown of FOXO1. Our data suggest that miR-1247-3p is up-regulated in tumor-derived exosomes, thereby inhibiting FOXO1 expression and facilitating angiogenesis in bladder cancer.

The value of urinary exosomal microRNA-21 in the early diagnosis and prognosis of bladder cancer

Bladder cancer (BC) poses high morbidity and mortality, with urinary exosomal microRNA (miR)-21 showing potential value in its diagnosis and prognosis, and we probed its specific role. We prospectively selected 116 BC patients and 116 healthy volunteers as the BC and control groups, respectively. BC urinary exosomal miR-146a-5p, miR-93-5p, miR-663b, miR-21, and miR-4454 relative expression levels were assessed. The correlations between clinical indexes and urinary exosomal miR-21, prognostic value of miR-21, and diagnostic value of the five candidate miRNAs, urine cytology, and miRNA joint diagnostic panel for BC and urinary exosomal miR-21, miR-4454, and urine cytology for Ta-T1 and T2-T4 stage BC were analyzed. Urinary exosomal miR-146a-5p, miR-93-5p, miR-663b, miR-21, and miR-4454 were highly expressed in BC patients. miR-146a-5p, miR-93-5p, miR-663b, miR-21, miR-4454, miRNA combined diagnostic panel, and urine cytology had certain diagnostic value for BC, with miR-21, miR-4454, and miRNA co-diagnostic panel showing the highest diagnostic value. Collectively, urinary exosomal miR-21 was closely related to Tumor-Node-Metastasis staging and grading in BC patients. Urinary exosomal miR-21 had high diagnostic value for BC and Ta-T1 and T2-T4 stage BC, and had high predictive value for BC poor prognosis, providing an effective indicator for the occurrence, development, and prognostic assessment of BC.

Engineering Approaches for Exosome Cargo Loading and Targeted Delivery: Biological versus Chemical Perspectives

Exosomes are nanoscale membrane bound vesicles secreted by almost all types of cells. Their unique attributes, such as minimal immunogenicity and compatibility with biological systems, make them novel carriers for drug delivery. These native exosomes harbor proteins, nucleic acids, small molecule compounds, and fluorogenic agents. Moreover, through a combination of chemical and bioengineering methodologies, exosomes are tailored to transport precise therapeutic payloads to designated cells or tissues. In this review, we summarize the strategies for exosome modification and drug loading modalities in engineered exosomes. In addition, we provide an overview of the advances in the use of engineered exosomes for targeted drug delivery. Lastly, we discuss the merits and limitations of chemically engineered versus bioengineered exosome-mediated target therapies. These insights offer additional options for refining engineered exosomes in pharmaceutical development and hold promise for expediting the successful translation of engineered exosomes from the bench to the bedside.

Characterization of a miRNA Signature with Enhanced Diagnostic and Prognostic Power for Patients with Bladder Carcinoma

Bladder carcinoma is globally among the most prevalent cancers and is associated with a high mortality rate at advanced stages. Its detection relies on invasive diagnostic methods that are unpleasant for the patient. Non-invasive molecular biomarkers, such as miRNAs, could serve as alternatives for early detection and prognosis of this malignancy. We designed a computational approach that combines transcriptome profiling, survival analyses, and calculation of diagnostic power in order to isolate miRNA signatures with high diagnostic and prognostic utility. Our analysis of TCGA-BLCA data from 429 patients yielded one miRNA signature, consisting of five upregulated and three downregulated miRNAs with cumulative diagnostic power that outperforms current diagnostic methods. The same miRNAs have a strong prognostic significance since their expression is associated with the overall survival of bladder cancer patients. We evaluated the expression of this signature in 19 solid cancer types, supporting its unique diagnostic utility for bladder carcinoma. We provide computational evidence regarding the functional implications of this miRNA signature in cell cycle regulation, demonstrating its abundance in body fluids, including peripheral blood and urine. Our study characterized a novel miRNA signature with the potential to serve as a non-invasive method for bladder cancer diagnosis and prognosis.

Role of microRNA carried by small extracellular vesicles in urological tumors

Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) are minute vesicles secreted by various cells that are capable of transporting cargo, including microRNAs, between donor and recipient cells. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), small non-coding RNAs approximately 22 nucleotides in length, have been implicated in a wide array of biological processes, including those involved in tumorigenesis. Emerging evidence highlights the pivotal role of miRNAs encapsulated in sEVs in both the diagnosis and treatment of urological tumors, with potential implications in epithelial-mesenchymal transition, proliferation, metastasis, angiogenesis, tumor microenvironment and drug resistance. This review provides a brief overview of the biogenesis and functional mechanisms of sEVs and miRNAs, followed by a summarization of recent empirical findings on miRNAs encapsulated in sEVs from three archetypal urologic malignancies: prostate cancer, clear cell renal cell carcinoma, and bladder cancer. We conclude by underscoring the potential of sEV-enclosed miRNAs as both biomarkers and therapeutic targets, with a particular focus on their detection and analysis in biological fluids such as urine, plasma, and serum.