Kacaroglu D, Gurbuz N. Comparison of therapeutic potential of macrophage- or mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes in pancreatic cancer: An updated review. World J Stem Cells 2025; 17(8): 107400 [DOI: 10.4252/wjsc.v17.i8.107400]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Nilgun Gurbuz, PhD, Professor, Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Suleyman Demirel University, Çünür, Doğu Yerleşkesi, 32200 Merkez/ Isparta, Isparta 32260, Türkiye. nilgungurbuz@sdu.edu.tr
Research Domain of This Article
Cell Biology
Article-Type of This Article
Minireviews
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Stem Cells. Aug 26, 2025; 17(8): 107400 Published online Aug 26, 2025. doi: 10.4252/wjsc.v17.i8.107400
Comparison of therapeutic potential of macrophage- or mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes in pancreatic cancer: An updated review
Demet Kacaroglu, Nilgun Gurbuz
Demet Kacaroglu, Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Lokman Hekim University, Ankara 06520, Türkiye
Nilgun Gurbuz, Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Suleyman Demirel University, Isparta 32260, Türkiye
Author contributions: Gurbuz N contributed to the supervision, analysis and/or interpretation of this manuscript; Kacaroglu D contributed to the materials of this manuscript; Kacaroglu D and Gurbuz N contributed to the concept, data collection and/or processing, and writing.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Nilgun Gurbuz, PhD, Professor, Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Suleyman Demirel University, Çünür, Doğu Yerleşkesi, 32200 Merkez/ Isparta, Isparta 32260, Türkiye. nilgungurbuz@sdu.edu.tr
Received: March 24, 2025 Revised: April 27, 2025 Accepted: July 7, 2025 Published online: August 26, 2025 Processing time: 151 Days and 22.7 Hours
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is known to have high metastatic potential and low survival rates due to the failure of the therapeutic agents to reach the cancer cells having the dense desmoplastic microenvironment. Exosomes are considered to be a promising therapeutic agent carrier due to their advantages such as low immunogenicity and easy targeting. More researches and future developments are needed, although exosome-based therapies need further research and development before they can be translated into clinical applications. In this review, we aimed to discuss comparatively two main exosome sources as mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-derived and macrophage-derived exosomes on pancreatic cancer in terms of the therapeutic potential, advantages, disadvantages and also other comprehensive details. In vitro, in vivo and clinical phase studies examining the therapeutic potential of MSC-derived and macrophage-derived exosomes in pancreatic cancer will be discussed. We strongly believe that this review will guide the new investigations related to exosome-based targeted therapy in pancreatic cancer. In the meantime, we aimed to provide an overview of ongoing research on MSC and macrophage exosome-based therapies, focusing on their role in cancer treatment, particularly for pancreatic cancer. By examining current findings, this review will provide a broad perspective on the therapeutic potential and limitations of exosomes.
Core Tip: Pancreatic cancer has high metastatic potential and low survival rates due to its dense desmoplastic microenvironment, which limits drug delivery. Exosomes, with their low immunogenicity and targeting ability, are promising therapeutic carriers. Mesenchymal stem cell- and macrophage-derived exosomes show potential in pancreatic cancer treatment. This review compares their effects, summarizing in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies while highlighting their advantages and disadvantages.
