Tumour extracellular vesicles and particles induce liver metabolic dysfunction.

Cancer alters the function of multiple organs beyond those targeted by metastasis1,2. Here we show that inflammation, fatty liver and dysregulated metabolism are hallmarks of systemically affected livers in mouse models and in patients with extrahepatic metastasis. We identified tumour-derived extracellular vesicles and particles (EVPs) as crucial mediators of cancer-induced hepatic reprogramming, which could be reversed by reducing tumour EVP secretion via depletion of Rab27a. All EVP subpopulations, exosomes and principally exomeres, could dysregulate hepatic function. The fatty acid cargo of tumour EVPs-particularly palmitic acid-induced secretion of tumour necrosis factor (TNF) by Kupffer cells, generating a pro-inflammatory microenvironment, suppressing fatty acid metabolism and oxidative phosphorylation, and promoting fatty liver formation. Notably, Kupffer cell ablation or TNF blockade markedly decreased tumour-induced fatty liver generation. Tumour implantation or pre-treatment with tumour EVPs diminished cytochrome P450 gene expression and attenuated drug metabolism in a TNF-dependent manner. We also observed fatty liver and decreased cytochrome P450 expression at diagnosis in tumour-free livers of patients with pancreatic cancer who later developed extrahepatic metastasis, highlighting the clinical relevance of our findings. Notably, tumour EVP education enhanced side effects of chemotherapy, including bone marrow suppression and cardiotoxicity, suggesting that metabolic reprogramming of the liver by tumour-derived EVPs may limit chemotherapy tolerance in patients with cancer. Our results reveal how tumour-derived EVPs dysregulate hepatic function and their targetable potential, alongside TNF inhibition, for preventing fatty liver formation and enhancing the efficacy of chemotherapy.

PDL1-positive exosomes suppress antitumor immunity by inducing tumor-specific CD8+ T cell exhaustion during metastasis.

Metastasis is the main cause of death in individuals with cancer. Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) can potentially reverse CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) dysfunction, leading to significant remission in multiple cancers. However, the mechanism underlying the development of CTL exhaustion during metastatic progression remains unclear. Here, we established an experimental pulmonary metastasis model with melanoma cells and discovered a critical role for melanoma-released exosomes in metastasis. Using genetic knockdown of nSMase2 and Rab27a, 2 key enzymes for exosome secretion, we showed that high levels of effector-like tumor-specific CD8+ T cells with transitory exhaustion, instead of terminal exhaustion, were observed in mice without exosomes; these cells showed limited inhibitory receptors and strong proliferation and cytotoxicity. Mechanistically, the immunosuppression of exosomes depends on exogenous PD-L1, which can be largely rescued by pretreatment with antibody blockade. Notably, we also found that exosomal PD-L1 acts as a promising predictive biomarker for ICB therapies during metastasis. Together, our findings suggest that exosomal PD-L1 may be a potential immunotherapy target, suggesting a new curative therapy for tumor metastasis.

Rab27a deletion impairs the therapeutic potential of endothelial progenitor cells for myocardial infarction.

Endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) transplantation has shown advantages in the treatment of myocardial infarction (MI) in animal models and clinical trials through mechanisms of direct intercellular contacts, autocrine, and paracrine. However, the effects of EPC transplantation for MI treatment remain controversial and the underlying mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. Here, we explored the role of Rab27a in the therapeutic potential of EPC transplantation in MI. We found that Rab27a knockout impaired the viability, and reduced the proliferation and tube formation function of ECPs. The recovery of cardiac function and improvement of ventricular remodeling from EPCs transplantation were significantly damaged by Rab27a deletion in vivo. Rab27a deletion inhibited the protein expression of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) and cyclin D1 and the phosphorylation levels of Akt and FoxO3a. Therefore, Rab27a knockout suppressed the PI3K-Akt-FoxO3a/cyclin D1 signaling pathway. Furthermore, Rab27a ablation dramatically reduced exosome release in EPCs. These results demonstrated that Rab27a plays an essential role in EPC functions. The elucidation of this mechanism provides novel insights into EPC transplantation as a promising treatment for post-MI injuries.

Rab27a Contributes to the Processing of Inflammatory Pain in Mice.

Tissue injury and inflammation may result in chronic pain, a severe debilitating disease that is associated with great impairment of quality of life. An increasing body of evidence indicates that members of the Rab family of small GTPases contribute to pain processing; however, their specific functions remain poorly understood. Here, we found using immunofluorescence staining and in situ hybridization that the small GTPase Rab27a is highly expressed in sensory neurons and in the superficial dorsal horn of the spinal cord of mice. Rab27a mutant mice, which carry a single-nucleotide missense mutation of Rab27a leading to the expression of a nonfunctional protein, show reduced mechanical hyperalgesia and spontaneous pain behavior in inflammatory pain models, while their responses to acute noxious mechanical and thermal stimuli is not affected. Our study uncovers a previously unrecognized function of Rab27a in the processing of persistent inflammatory pain in mice.

Exosomes function in antigen presentation during an in vivo Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis-infected macrophages and dendritic cells are limited in their ability to present antigen to CD4+ T cells suggesting that other mechanism of antigen presentation are driving the robust T cell response observed during an M. tuberculosis infection. These mechanisms could include antigens present in apoptotic bodies, necrotic debris, exosomes or even release of non-vesicular antigen from infected cells. However, there is limited data to support any of these mechanisms as important in driving T cell activation in vivo. In the present study we use Rab27a-deficient mice which show diminished trafficking of mycobacterial components to exosomes as well as M. tuberculosis strains that express recombinant proteins which traffic or fail to traffic to exosomes. We observed that exosomes released during a mouse M. tuberculosis infection contribute significantly to its T cell response. These finding imply that exosomes function to promote T cell immunity during a bacterial infection and are an important source of extracellular antigen.