Original ArticleMurine and human pancreatic tumor exosome recovery in mouse serum: Diagnostic and prognostic potential and target cell delivery

- For Tumor exosome (TEX) recovery in serum a marker panel is highly recommended.
- In tumor transplantation models TEX recovery is not an early event, but Due to rapid decline after excision serum-TEX are well suited for follow up studies.
- Rapid exogeneous exosomes clearance is mostly due to uptake by host and tumor cells.
- Exosome uptake can be rooted by tailoring with targeting proteins.

Exosomes (Exo), powerful intercellular communicators, are recovered in all body fluids, suggesting suitability for diagnosis and prognosis. Easy in vitro manipulation recommends Exo as drug vehicles. Aiming to consolidate diagnostic and therapeutic potential of Exo, we evaluated recovery and fate of tumor (TEX) and exogenous Exo in syngeneic and xenogeneic mice bearing a murine or a human pancreatic adenocarcinoma.A significant increase in serum (S)-TEX was observed 2 weeks after tumor cell application. Instead, S-TEX declined within 3-6 days after tumor excision. Intravenously injected dye-labeled TEX were rapidly cleared from the serum. Partly being degraded in the liver, the majority is taken-up by PBL, liver, bone marrow and lung cells. In the tumor-bearing host TEX persisted longer becoming enriched in tumor cells and metastatic organs. Accordingly, an antibody blockade of a TEX marker hampered disseminated tumor cell settlement in selected organs.In brief, a tumor marker panel appears suited for S-TEX recovery. In murine models, S-TEX are qualified for therapy control and follow-up studies. Despite rapid clearance from the serum, Exo uptake by host cells is most promising for tailored Exo as drug transporter.