The Footprint of Exosomes in the Radiation-Induced Bystander Effects Publisher



Jokar S^{1, 2, 3, 4} ; Marques IA^{2, 3, 4, 5, 6} ; Khazaei S⁷ ; Martinsmarques T^{3, 4, 8} ; Girao H^{3, 4, 8} ; Laranjo M^{2, 3, 4, 5, 8} ; Botelho MF^{2, 3, 4, 5, 8} Show Affiliations
Source: Bioengineering Published:2022

Abstract

Radiation therapy is widely used as the primary treatment option for several cancer types. However, radiation therapy is a nonspecific method and associated with significant challenges such as radioresistance and non-targeted effects. The radiation-induced non-targeted effects on nonirradiated cells nearby are known as bystander effects, while effects far from the ionising radiation-exposed cells are known as abscopal effects. These effects are presented as a consequence of intercellular communi-cations. Therefore, a better understanding of the involved intercellular signals may bring promising new strategies for radiation risk assessment and potential targets for developing novel radiotherapy strategies. Recent studies indicate that radiation-derived extracellular vesicles, particularly exosomes, play a vital role in intercellular communications and may result in radioresistance and non-targeted effects. This review describes exosome biology, intercellular interactions, and response to different environmental stressors and diseases, and focuses on their role as functional mediators in inducing radiation-induced bystander effect (RIBE). © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.