Role of Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Exosomes on Cancer

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and exosomes are competent actors of cellular therapy thanks to their therapeutic impact on tissue degeneration and immune-based pathologies. Additionally, their homing and immunomodulatory properties can be exploited in cancer malignancies to transport pharmacological entities, produce anti-neoplastic agents, or induce antitumor immunity. The promising potential of MSCs and exosomes can be extended not only to cancer management but also to instigating tumor-specific immunity—i.e., cancer vaccination. Several authors have described their antitumorigenic functions, such as:  

• Enhancement of the immune response;
• Regulation of cellular signaling;
• Inhibition of angiogenesis;
• Induction of apoptosis in cancer cells.

By contrast, the interactions between tumor cells and the no-malignant stromal and immune cells that make up the tumor microenvironment are critical to the pathophysiology of cancer. In some cases, they could support tumor growth by means of:

• Differentiation into other protumorigenic stromal components;
• Suppression of the immune response;
• Promotion of angiogenesis;
• Enhancement of an epithelial–mesenchymaltransition (EMT);
• Enrichment of cancerstem-like cells;
• Increase in tumor cell survival;
• Promotion of tumor metastasis.

In light of such consideration, further work is required to delineate the complex crosstalk between MSCs or exosomes and tumor microenvironment in order to assess their impact on cancer initiation, growth, and spread.

Dr. Barbara Zavan
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Cancers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• MSC
• exosomes
• angiogenesis
• tumor microenvironment
• epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)
• metastasis
• cancer stem-like cells
• immunomodulation