Induction of more aggressive tumoral phenotypes in LNCaP and PC3 cells by serum exosomes from prostate cancer patients

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most frequent and sixth most fatal cancer in men worldwide. Despite its high prevalence, our understanding of its etiology and the molecular mechanisms involved in the progression of the disease is substantially limited. In recent years, the potential participation of exosomes in this process has been suggested. Therefore, we aim to study the effect of exosomes isolated from the serum of patients with PCa on various cellular processes associated with increased tumor aggressiveness in two PCa cell lines: LNCaP-FGC and PC3. The exosomes were isolated by filtration wand ultracentrifugation. Their presence was confirmed by immunodetection of specific markers and their size distribution was analyzed by Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS). The results obtained demonstrated that serum exosomes from PCa patients increased migration of PC3 cells and neuroendocrine differentiation of LNCaP-FGC cells regardless of the grade of the tumor. PCa serum exosomes also enhanced the secretion of enzymes related to invasiveness and resistance to chemotherapeutics, such as extracellular matrix metalloproteases 2 and 9, and gamma-glutamyltransferase in both cell lines. Altogether, these findings support the pivotal participation of exosomes released by tumoral cells in the progression of PCa. Future studies on the molecular mechanisms involved in the observed changes could provide crucial information on this disease and help in the discovery of new therapeutic targets.