Dados do Resumo

Título

THE ROLE OF EXOSOMES IN THE EVOLUTION OF MELANOMA - A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Introdução

Melanomas are highly aggressive skin malignancies and, although less frequent than other skin cancers, have one of the highest mortality rates. With the ability to form metastases, malignant melanoma has a survival rate of only 10%. Exosomes, extracellular vesicles involved in molecule transfer, can trigger metastasis. Investigating the role of exosomes in tumor cell communication is crucial for new therapeutic interventions and early diagnosis, making this topic highly relevant to oncology.

Objetivo

The objective of this study was to systematically review the literature on the role of exosomes in the progression of malignant neoplasms, with a focus on melanomas. Specifically, it sought to investigate the role of melanoma-derived exosomes in metastatic spread, contributing to oncological dermatology.

Métodos

This article uses a systematic review to investigate the role of exosomes in melanoma progression. According to Sampaio and Mencini (2007), a systematic review is a structured research method that follows clear inclusion and exclusion criteria. The review included only clinical studies published in the last 10 years, focusing on experimental data from the blood plasma of melanoma patients. Studies conducted on mice, in vitro, and unavailable articles were excluded. Searches were conducted in PubMed, LILACS, and CAPES databases, using the keywords "exosomes" and "melanoma." After an initial screening of 1,278 articles, 1,225 were excluded for not fitting the topic, and 48 were excluded for not meeting the eligibility criteria. In the end, 4 articles were selected for detailed analysis following the PRISMA methodology.

Resultados

Recent studies have revealed key findings regarding exosomes in melanoma. The results indicate that melanoma patients have elevated levels of exosomal proteins, with melanoma-associated exosomes (MTEX) showing increased immunosuppression and reduced immunostimulation. Moreover, elevated SENP1 levels in exosomes from melanoma patients suggest that this overexpression may impact disease progression. Moreover, high levels of connexin 43 (Cx43) in plasma exosomes are associated with early-stage melanoma. Also, elevated levels of miR-17, miR-19a, and others, have been detected in exosomes from metastatic melanoma patients. Lastly, no significant differences in miRNA profiles were found between familial and sporadic melanoma. Therefore, the results suggest that the exosomes derived from melanoma cells play a diverse role in the interaction between cancer cells through various mechanisms, contributing to disease progression by creating an environment conducive to tumor proliferation.

Conclusões

This article highlights the significant role of exosomes in tumor progression in various types of cancer. Important differences were observed between tumor exosomes in melanoma patients and those in healthy individuals. Therefore, exosomes are important in cell communication in cancer and can serve as biomarkers for diagnosis and treatment. However, further studies are needed to better understand their relationship with the development of neoplasms.

Palavras Chave

Melanomas; Exosomes; Metastasis