摘要
Stem cells are known to maintain sternness at least in part through secreted factors that promote stem-like phenotypesin resident cells. Accumulating evidence has clarified that stem cells release nano-vesicles, known as exosomes,which may serve as mediators of cell-to-cell communication and may potentially transmit stem cell phenotypes torecipient cells, facilitating stem cell maintenance, differentiation, self-renewal, and repair. It has become apparent thatstem cell-derived exosomes mediate interactions among stromal elements, promote genetic instability in recipientcells, and induce malignant transformation. This review will therefore discuss the potential of stem cell-derivedexosomes in the context of stromal remodeling and their ability to generate cancer-initiating cells in a tumor nicheby inducing morphologic and functional differentiation of fibroblasts into tumor-initiating fibroblasts. In addition, theimmunosuppressive potential of stem cell-derived exosomes in cancer immunotherapy and their prospective applicationsin cell-free therapies in future translational medicine is discussed.
