Proteomic profiling and functional characterization of metastatic colon cancer exosomes spreading malignant properties in tumor microenvironment

Human tumors display a remarkable intratumor heterogeneity affecting clinically relevant phenotypes such as ability to metastasize or to tolerate cytotoxic drugs. Recent published data indicate that tumor derived exosomes (TDEs) can have a pivotal role in regulating tumor heterogeneity by transferring functional biomolecules between various populations of tumor cells and between tumor cells and nontumor cells with consequences for whole tumor microenvironment. In this context, our goal was to understand if exosomes derived from highly metastatic cell line may influence the behaviour of less aggressive tumor cells and the properties of endhothelium.