Extracellular Vesicles and Their Potential Use in Monitoring Cancer Progression and Therapy: The Contribution of Proteomics

Figure 2

Large oncosomes: the new players in intercellular communication for tumor progression and metastasis. Tumor cells communicate each other and with neighboring normal cells in their microenvironment by sending out biological signals enclosed in EVs. Large Oncosomes are membrane vesicles released from “ameboid” tumor cells that are able to facilitate migration of tumor cells and promoting metastasis. The figure shows how specific tumor-cell EVs are involved in tumor progression by targeting fibroblasts and endothelial and immune cells or by altering the structure and composition of ECM. EVs, Extracellular Vesicles; MVs, microvesicles; LOs, large oncosomes; ABs, apoptotic blebs; MVEs, multivesicular endosomes; ECM, extracellular matrix; TGF-β, transforming growth factor beta; FN1, fibronectin-1.