# Exosomes and Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Current Knowledge and Clinical Significance

**Authors:** Maria Loukopoulou, Anastasia Kottorou, Angelos Koutras, Foteinos-Ioannis Dimitrakopoulos

PMC · DOI: 10.3390/ijms27041918 · International Journal of Molecular Sciences · 2026-02-17

## TL;DR

Exosomes may serve as non-invasive biomarkers for diagnosing and treating triple-negative breast cancer, but challenges remain in standardizing methods and understanding their biological roles.

## Contribution

This systematic review highlights the potential of exosomal biomarkers in TNBC and emphasizes the need for standardized protocols and combinatorial biomarker panels.

## Key findings

- Exosomal molecules show promise for early detection and tracking of TNBC progression.
- Variations in methodology and sample diversity hinder generalization of findings.
- Standardized protocols and combinatorial biomarker panels are needed for clinical translation.

## Abstract

Exosomes, acting as vital mediators of cellular communication and carriers of diverse biomolecular cargo, are increasingly documented as important participants in cancer pathogenesis and progression. When it comes to triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), a disease that comes with significant therapeutic hurdles, finding new, non-invasive biomarkers is absolutely crucial. This systematic review considers recent research, focusing on the role of exosomal biomarkers in diagnosing, predicting prognosis and foreseeing treatment response in TNBC patients. After an extensive search across PubMed and Google Scholar, we found many exosomal molecules showing great promise for early detection, tracking disease progression and tailoring treatments. This truly highlights liquid biopsy as a valuable, minimally invasive tool. However, there are still some big challenges to treat. These include variations in methodology, the sheer diversity of samples studied and the prevalence of research in specific populations, all of which make it harder to generalize findings. It has been suggested that future research must prioritize protocol standardization, achieving a deeper understanding of underlying biological mechanisms and, crucially, developing combinatorial biomarker panels. Ultimately, the successful translation of exosomal biomarkers into clinical practice will significantly advance personalized medicine in TNBC, leading to improved patient outcomes and an enhanced quality of life.

## Linked entities

- **Diseases:** triple-negative breast cancer (MONDO:0005494), breast cancer (MONDO:0004989)

## Full-text entities

- **Genes:** ESR1 (estrogen receptor 1) [NCBI Gene 2099] {aka ER, ESR, ESRA, ESTRR, Era, NR3A1}, SDC1 (syndecan 1) [NCBI Gene 6382] {aka CD138, SDC, SYND1, syndecan}, MIR146A (microRNA 146a) [NCBI Gene 406938] {aka MIRN146, MIRN146A, miR-146a, miRNA146A}, TNFRSF1A (TNF receptor superfamily member 1A) [NCBI Gene 7132] {aka CD120a, FPF, TBP1, TNF-R, TNF-R-I, TNF-R55}, GDE1 (glycerophosphodiester phosphodiesterase 1) [NCBI Gene 51573] {aka 363E6.2, MIR16}, MIR424 (microRNA 424) [NCBI Gene 494336] {aka MIR322, MIRN424, hsa-mir-424, miRNA424, mir-424}, XIST (X inactive specific transcript) [NCBI Gene 7503] {aka DXS1089, DXS399E, LINC00001, NCRNA00001, SXI1, swd66}, MIR2392 (microRNA 2392) [NCBI Gene 100616495], MIR145 (microRNA 145) [NCBI Gene 406937] {aka MIRN145, miR-145, miRNA145}, MIR182 (microRNA 182) [NCBI Gene 406958] {aka MIRN182, miRNA182, mir-182}, MIR376C (microRNA 376c) [NCBI Gene 442913] {aka MIR368, MIRN368, MIRN376C, hsa-mir-368, miRNA368, mir-376c}, MIR373 (microRNA 373) [NCBI Gene 442918] {aka MIRN373, hsa-mir-373, miRNA373, mir-373}, MIR221 (microRNA 221) [NCBI Gene 407006] {aka MIRN221, miRNA221, mir-221}, MIR4800 (microRNA 4800) [NCBI Gene 100616358] {aka mir-4800}, MIR5008 (microRNA 5008) [NCBI Gene 100847072], ANXA2 (annexin A2) [NCBI Gene 302] {aka ANX2, ANX2L4, CAL1H, HEL-S-270, LIP2, LPC2}, STAM (signal transducing adaptor molecule) [NCBI Gene 8027] {aka STAM-1, STAM1}, MIR660 (microRNA 660) [NCBI Gene 724030] {aka MIRN660, hsa-mir-660, mir-660}, CD274 (CD274 molecule) [NCBI Gene 29126] {aka ADMIO5, B7-H, B7H1, PD-L1, PDCD1L1, PDCD1LG1}, MIRLET7I (microRNA let-7i) [NCBI Gene 406891] {aka LET7I, MIRNLET7I, hsa-let-7i, let-7i}, ADAM10 (ADAM metallopeptidase domain 10) [NCBI Gene 102] {aka AD10, AD18, CD156c, CDw156, HsT18717, MADM}, MIR210 (microRNA 210) [NCBI Gene 406992] {aka MIRN210, mir-210}, MIR3613 (microRNA 3613) [NCBI Gene 100500908], MIR382 (microRNA 382) [NCBI Gene 494331] {aka MIRN382, hsa-mir-382, mir-382}, MIR770 (microRNA 770) [NCBI Gene 768222] {aka MIRN770, hsa-mir-770}, MIR1246 (microRNA 1246) [NCBI Gene 100302142] {aka MIRN1246, hsa-mir-1246}, MIR148A (microRNA 148a) [NCBI Gene 406940] {aka MIRN148, MIRN148A, hsa-mir-148, mir-148a}, MIR637 (microRNA 637) [NCBI Gene 693222] {aka MIRN637, hsa-mir-637}, MIR21 (microRNA 21) [NCBI Gene 406991] {aka MIRN21, hsa-mir-21, miR-21, miRNA21}, MIR195 (microRNA 195) [NCBI Gene 406971] {aka MIRN195, miRNA195, mir-195}, MIR4715 (microRNA 4715) [NCBI Gene 100616474], MIR4448 (microRNA 4448) [NCBI Gene 100616127], ERBB2 (erb-b2 receptor tyrosine kinase 2) [NCBI Gene 2064] {aka CD340, HER-2, HER-2/neu, HER2, MLN 19, MLN-19}, MIR939 (microRNA 939) [NCBI Gene 100126351] {aka MIRN939, hsa-mir-939, mir-939}, MIR2467 (microRNA 2467) [NCBI Gene 100616360] {aka mir-2467}, MIR429 (microRNA 429) [NCBI Gene 554210] {aka MIRN429, hsa-mir-429, mir-429}, SLC2A1 (solute carrier family 2 member 1) [NCBI Gene 6513] {aka CSE, DYT17, DYT18, DYT9, EIG12, GLUT}, MIR1290 (microRNA 1290) [NCBI Gene 100302276] {aka MIRN1290, hsa-mir-1290}, GPC1 (glypican 1) [NCBI Gene 2817] {aka glypican}, LINC00899 (long intergenic non-protein coding RNA 899) [NCBI Gene 100271722], MIR1225 (microRNA 1225) [NCBI Gene 100188847] {aka MIRN1225}, CD81 (CD81 molecule) [NCBI Gene 975] {aka CVID6, S5.7, TAPA1, TSPAN28}, MIR200C (microRNA 200c) [NCBI Gene 406985] {aka MIRN200C, mir-200c}, MIR141 (microRNA 141) [NCBI Gene 406933] {aka MIRN141, mir-141}, PGR (progesterone receptor) [NCBI Gene 5241] {aka NR3C3, PR}, VPS4A (vacuolar protein sorting 4 homolog A) [NCBI Gene 27183] {aka CIMDAG, SKD1, SKD1A, SKD2, VPS4, VPS4-1}, MIR372 (microRNA 372) [NCBI Gene 442917] {aka MIRN372, hsa-mir-372}, MIR127 (microRNA 127) [NCBI Gene 406914] {aka MIRN127, miRNA127, mir-127}, HGS (hepatocyte growth factor-regulated tyrosine kinase substrate) [NCBI Gene 9146] {aka HRS}, PDCD6IP (programmed cell death 6 interacting protein) [NCBI Gene 10015] {aka AIP1, ALIX, DRIP4, HP95, MCPH29}, LINC00989 (long intergenic non-protein coding RNA 989) [NCBI Gene 100506035], SUMO1P3 (SUMO1 pseudogene 3) [NCBI Gene 474338], MIR183 (microRNA 183) [NCBI Gene 406959] {aka MIRN183, miR-183, miRNA183}, MIR4728 (microRNA 4728) [NCBI Gene 100616132], HLA-C (major histocompatibility complex, class I, C) [NCBI Gene 3107] {aka D6S204, HLA-JY3, HLAC, HLC-C, MHC, PSORS1}, TSG101 (tumor susceptibility 101) [NCBI Gene 7251] {aka TSG10, VPS23}, CD151 (CD151 molecule (Raph blood group)) [NCBI Gene 977] {aka EBS7, GP27, MER2, PETA-3, RAPH, SFA1}, MIR34A (microRNA 34a) [NCBI Gene 407040] {aka MIRN34A, miRNA34A, mir-34, mir-34a}, LDHC (lactate dehydrogenase C) [NCBI Gene 3948] {aka CT32, LDH3, LDHX}, MIR423 (microRNA 423) [NCBI Gene 494335] {aka MIRN423, hsa-mir-423, mir-423}
- **Diseases:** benign breast disease (MESH:D001941), Breast Cancer (MESH:D001943), TNBC (MESH:D064726), lymph node metastasis (MESH:D008207), lymph node involvement (MESH:D000072717), N (MESH:C536108), cancer (MESH:D009369), metastases (MESH:D009362), inflammation (MESH:D007249), injury to (MESH:D014947)
- **Chemicals:** ceramides (MESH:D002518), cholesterol (MESH:D002784), gemcitabine (MESH:D000093542), atezolizumab (MESH:C000594389), lipid (MESH:D008055), phospholipid (MESH:D010743), sphingomyelin (MESH:D013109)
- **Species:** Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606]

## Full text

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## Figures

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## References

112 references — full list in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12940546/full.md

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12940546