Extracellular Vesicles (Exosomes) and Cancer

Edwin Lee, M.D.

Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine, University of Central Florida College of Medicine, Orlando, FL; Founder, Institute for Hormonal Balance; Member, AMMG Conference Planning Committee

The American Cancer Society predicts that the global burden of cancer will be 26.1 million new cancer cases per year and 13 million annual deaths by 2030, up from and 13.2 million cases and 8.2 million deaths in 2013. Unfortunately there is no early detection test for cancer. In the past decade there has been an explosion on the research of exosomes and cancer. Exosomes have a role in cancer in regards to promotion of tumor growth, tumorigenesis, tumor angiogenesis, tumor immune escape, drug resistance, and metastasis. In addition exosomes have a role for a cancer biomarker and may become the standard for early detection or surveillance marker for cancer. Finally exosomes have a role in the future as a cancer therapeutic agent.