Mitochondrial Proteins as Exosomal Cargo: New Breast Cancer Biomarkers & Crucial Players in Carcinogenesis?

ABSTRACT: Mitochondrial proteins (mtPs) packaged into extracellular vesicles (EVs), particularly exosomes, have emerged as promising biomarkers and functional mediators in cancer biology. In this study, we investigated whether breast cancer (BC)-derived exosomes selectively incorporate mtPs, thereby providing insights into their diagnostic potential and role in tumor progression. Exosomes were isolated from conditioned media of multiple BC cell lines and non-tumorigenic breast epithelial cells using ultracentrifugation and were characterized by transmission electron microscopy and flow cytometry for canonical markers CD9 and CD81. Proteomic profiling by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry revealed a distinct enrichment of mtPs in exosomes derived exclusively from tumor cells, while non-tumorigenic cells lac

SUBMITTER: Shefer A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12565999 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature