# Extracellular Vesicles: A Multidimensional Role in the Occurrence and Development of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma **Authors:** Huining Chen, Hejing Huang, Song Qu PMC · DOI: 10.3390/biom16020267 · Biomolecules · 2026-02-09 ## TL;DR This paper reviews how extracellular vesicles influence the development and treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma and their potential as biomarkers. ## Contribution The paper provides a comprehensive overview of recent findings on extracellular vesicles in nasopharyngeal carcinoma from 2020 to 2025. ## Key findings - EVs influence tumor microenvironments and are studied as biomarkers for NPC diagnosis and prognosis. - EVs contribute to treatment resistance in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. - Standardized EV production and purification techniques are needed for future research. ## Abstract Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have garnered significant attention in cancer research, as they enable the regulation of the occurrence, progression, and metastasis of tumors. This narrative review summarizes studies published between 2020 and 2025 from PubMed, focusing on nasopharyngeal carcinoma and extracellular vesicles. We analyze the function and mechanism of EVs in the tumor microenvironment, biomarkers, and treatment. Numerous studies have attempted to explain the mechanism of NPC-EVs affecting tumor microenvironments through the transmission of its cargo. And liquid-biopsy technology using EVs as biomarkers, such as exosomal cyclophilin A, the phosphatase and tensin homolog, and EVs-miR-30a-5p, has been studied for diagnosis and prognostic evaluation. In the therapy aspect, researchers are attempting to explore the role of EVs in the resistance process of NPC treatment, with the aim of clinical translation. Current limitations include biological distribution of EVs and so on. Future research should focus on establishing the standardized production system and more convenient separation and purification techniques for EVs. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the nasopharyngeal carcinoma-related EVs. ## Linked entities - **Diseases:** nasopharyngeal carcinoma (MONDO:0015459) ## Full-text entities - **Genes:** CAV1 (caveolin 1) [NCBI Gene 857] {aka BSCL3, CGL3, LCCNS, MSTP085, PPH3, VIP21}, DDX53 (DEAD-box helicase 53) [NCBI Gene 168400] {aka CAGE, CT26}, DNTT (DNA nucleotidylexotransferase) [NCBI Gene 1791] {aka TDT}, TAFAZZIN (tafazzin, phospholipid-lysophospholipid transacylase) [NCBI Gene 6901] {aka BTHS, CMD3A, EFE, EFE2, G4.5, LVNCX}, Sting1 (stimulator of interferon response cGAMP interactor 1) [NCBI Gene 72512] {aka 2610307O08Rik, ERIS, MPYS, Mita, STING, STING-beta}, CA1 (carbonic anhydrase 1) [NCBI Gene 759] {aka CA-I, CAB, Car1, HEL-S-11}, Pten (phosphatase and tensin homolog) [NCBI Gene 19211] {aka 2310035O07Rik, A130070J02Rik, B430203M17Rik, MMAC1, PTENbeta, TEP1}, kdrl (kinase insert domain receptor like) [NCBI Gene 796537] {aka flk, flk-1, flk1, kdr, kdra, vegfr-2}, PPIA (peptidylprolyl isomerase A) [NCBI Gene 5478] {aka CYPA, CYPH, HEL-S-69p}, AKT1 (AKT serine/threonine kinase 1) [NCBI Gene 207] {aka AKT, PKB, PKB-ALPHA, PRKBA, RAC, RAC-ALPHA}, kdr (kinase insert domain receptor (a type III receptor tyrosine kinase)) [NCBI Gene 554230] {aka flk1, flk1b, kdrb, si:busm1-205d10.1, si:ch211-254j6.1, si:ch211-278f21.4}, IL10 (interleukin 10) [NCBI Gene 3586] {aka CSIF, GVHDS, IL-10, IL10A, TGIF}, PGP (phosphoglycolate phosphatase) [NCBI Gene 283871] {aka AUM, G3PP, PGPase}, Pdcd1 (programmed cell death 1) [NCBI Gene 18566] {aka Ly101, PD-1, Pdc1}, YAP1 (Yes1 associated transcriptional regulator) [NCBI Gene 10413] {aka COB1, YAP, YAP-1, YAP2, YAP65, YKI}, PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog) [NCBI Gene 5728] {aka 10q23del, BZS, CWS1, DEC, GLM2, MHAM}, Rnf126 (ring finger protein 126) [NCBI Gene 70294] {aka 2610010O19Rik}, SPARC (secreted protein acidic and cysteine rich) [NCBI Gene 6678] {aka BM-40, OI17, ON, ONT}, NFKB1 (nuclear factor kappa B subunit 1) [NCBI Gene 4790] {aka CVID12, EBP-1, KBF1, NF-kB, NF-kB1, NF-kappa-B1}, Scarb1 (scavenger receptor class B, member 1) [NCBI Gene 20778] {aka CD36, Cd36l1, Chohd1, Cla-1, Cla1, D5Ertd460e}, LGALS9 (galectin 9) [NCBI Gene 3965] {aka HUAT, LGALS9A}, hax1 (HCLS1 associated protein X-1) [NCBI Gene 436609] {aka zgc:92196}, FAP (fibroblast activation protein alpha) [NCBI Gene 2191] {aka DPPIV, FAPA, FAPalpha, SIMP}, TGFB1 (transforming growth factor beta 1) [NCBI Gene 7040] {aka CAEND1, CED, DPD1, IBDIMDE, LAP, TGF-beta1}, CD8A (CD8 subunit alpha) [NCBI Gene 925] {aka CD8, CD8alpha, IMD116, Leu2, p32}, hmgb3b (high mobility group box 3b) [NCBI Gene 550466] {aka fa19b06, fj43d02, hmgb3, wu:fa19b06, wu:fj43d02, zgc:112073}, CTNNB1 (catenin beta 1) [NCBI Gene 1499] {aka CTNNB, EVR7, MRD19, NEDSDV, armadillo}, ERP44 (endoplasmic reticulum protein 44) [NCBI Gene 23071] {aka PDIA10, TXNDC4}, IL6 (interleukin 6) [NCBI Gene 3569] {aka BSF-2, BSF2, CDF, HGF, HSF, IFN-beta-2}, CCR5 (C-C motif chemokine receptor 5) [NCBI Gene 1234] {aka CC-CKR-5, CCCKR5, CCR-5, CD195, CKR-5, CKR5}, MIR106A (microRNA 106a) [NCBI Gene 406899] {aka MIRN106A, mir-106, mir-106a}, IL17A (interleukin 17A) [NCBI Gene 3605] {aka CTLA-8, CTLA8, IL-17, IL-17A, IL17, ILA17}, MTOR (mechanistic target of rapamycin kinase) [NCBI Gene 2475] {aka FRAP, FRAP1, FRAP2, RAFT1, RAPT1, SKS}, ABCB1 (ATP binding cassette subfamily B member 1) [NCBI Gene 5243] {aka ABC20, CD243, CLCS, ENPAT, GP170, MDR1}, vegfaa (vascular endothelial growth factor Aa) [NCBI Gene 30682] {aka vegf, vegfa, wu:fj82c06}, MAPK14 (mitogen-activated protein kinase 14) [NCBI Gene 1432] {aka CSBP, CSBP1, CSBP2, CSPB1, EXIP, Mxi2}, GFOD3P (Gfo/Idh/MocA-like oxidoreductase domain containing 3, pseudogene) [NCBI Gene 57212] {aka KIAA0495, PDAM, TP73-AS1}, Pdcd6ip (programmed cell death 6 interacting protein) [NCBI Gene 18571] {aka Aip1, Alix, Eig2, mKIAA1375}, PTK2B (protein tyrosine kinase 2 beta) [NCBI Gene 2185] {aka CADTK, CAKB, FADK2, FAK2, PKB, PTK}, Mir125a (microRNA 125a) [NCBI Gene 387235] {aka Mirn125a}, flt1 (fms related receptor tyrosine kinase 1) [NCBI Gene 544667] {aka VEGFR1, flt1b, sFlt1}, BATF2 (basic leucine zipper ATF-like transcription factor 2) [NCBI Gene 116071] {aka SARI}, Cgas (cyclic GMP-AMP synthase) [NCBI Gene 214763] {aka E330016A19Rik, Mb21d1}, CD274 (CD274 molecule) [NCBI Gene 29126] {aka ADMIO5, B7-H, B7H1, PD-L1, PDCD1L1, PDCD1LG1} - **Diseases:** Tumor (MESH:D009369), head and neck cancers (MESH:D006258), Fibrosis (MESH:D005355), EBV (MESH:D020031), inflammatory (MESH:D007249), injury to (MESH:D014947), nasopharyngeal cancer (MESH:D009303), NPC (MESH:D052556), hypoxic (MESH:D002534), tumorigenesis (MESH:D063646), EVs (MESH:C535509), toxicity (MESH:D064420), metastasis (MESH:D009362), NPC (MESH:D000077274), lymph node- (MESH:D000072717), EV (MESH:D004819), nasopharyngitis (MESH:D009304) - **Chemicals:** paclitaxel (MESH:D017239), ropivacaine (MESH:D000077212), platinum (MESH:D010984), 5-aminolevulinic acid (MESH:C000614854), Cisplatin (MESH:D002945), LBH (-), lipid (MESH:D008055) - **Species:** Mus musculus (house mouse, species) [taxon 10090], Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606], Danio rerio (leopard danio, species) [taxon 7955] ## Full text _Full body text omitted from this summary view._ Fetch the complete paper as Markdown: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12938149/full.md ## Figures 2 figures with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12938149/full.md ## References 91 references — full list in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12938149/full.md --- Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12938149