Exosomes, small extracellular vesicles ranging from 30 to 150 nm, are secreted by various cell types, including tumour cells. Recently, microRNAs (miRNAs) were identified to be encapsulated and hence protected from degradation within exosomes. These exosomal miRNAs can be horizontally transferred to target cells, in which they subsequently modulate biological processes. Increasing evidence indicates that exosomal miRNAs play a critical role in modifying the microenvironment of lung cancers, possibly facilitating progression, invasion, angiogenesis, metastasis and drug resistance. In this review, we summarize the novel findings on exosomal miRNA functions during lung cancer initiation and progression. In addition, we highlight their potential role and challenges as biomarkers in lung cancer diagnosis, prognosis and drug resistance and as therapeutic agents.

中文翻译：

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外泌体微RNA在肺癌生物学和临床应用中的作用

外泌体是 30 到 150 nm 的小细胞外囊泡，由各种细胞类型分泌，包括肿瘤细胞。最近，microRNAs (miRNAs) 被鉴定为被包裹，因此被保护免受外泌体内的降解。这些外泌体 miRNA 可以水平转移到靶细胞，在那里它们随后调节生物过程。越来越多的证据表明，外泌体 miRNA 在改变肺癌微环境方面发挥着关键作用，可能促进进展、侵袭、血管生成、转移和耐药性。在这篇综述中，我们总结了肺癌发生和进展过程中外泌体 miRNA 功能的新发现。此外，我们强调了它们作为肺癌诊断生物标志物的潜在作用和挑战，