Communication between cancer cell subtypes by exosomes contributes to nasopharyngeal carcinoma metastasis and poor prognosis

Abstract

Background

Intratumor heterogeneity is common in cancers, with different cell subtypes supporting each other to become more malignant. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), a highly metastatic cancer, shows significant heterogeneity among its cells. This study investigates how NPC cell subtypes with varying metastatic potentials influence each other through exosome-transmitted molecules.

Methods

Exosomes were purified and characterized. MicroRNA expression was analyzed via sequencing and qRT-PCR. The effects of miR-30a-5p on migration, invasion, and metastasis were evaluated in vitro and in vivo. Its impact on desmoglein glycoprotein (DSG2) was assessed using dual-luciferase assays and Western blotting. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and statistical models linked miR-30a-5p/DSG2 levels to patient prognosis.

Results

Different NPC cell subtypes transmit metastatic potential via exosomes. High-metastatic cells enhance the migration, invasion, and metastasis of low-metastatic cells through exosome-transmitted miR-30a-5p. Plasma levels of exosomal miR-30a-5p are reliable indicators of NPC prognosis. miR-30a-5p may promote metastasis by targeting DSG2 and modulating Wnt signaling. Plasma exosomal miR-30a-5p inversely correlates with DSG2 levels, predicting patient outcomes.

Conclusion

High-metastatic NPC cells can increase the metastatic potential of low-metastatic cells through exosome-transmitted miR-30a-5p, which is a valuable prognostic marker assessable via liquid biopsy.