Current Status of Research on Small Extracellular Vesicles for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Urological Tumors

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) play an important role in the occurrence and development of various diseases, exhibiting the characteristics of wide acquisition and strong specificity. Due to the difficulties in the diagnosis and treatment of urological tumors, this article mainly reviews the function of sEVs in urinary tumors and their related application in the diagnosis and treatment of such tumors. The contents herein can provide new directions for the early diagnosis and individualized treatment of urinary tumors. ABSTRACT: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are important mediators of communication between tumor cells and normal cells. These vesicles are rich in a variety of contents such as RNA, DNA, and proteins, and can be involved in angiogenesis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, the formation of pre-metastatic ecological niches, and the regulation of the tumor microenvironment. Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) are a type of EVs. Currently, the main treatments for urological tumors are surgery, radiotherapy, and targeted therapy. However, urological tumors are difficult to diagnose and treat due to their high metastatic rate, tendency to develop drug resistance, and the low sensitivity of liquid biopsies. Numerous studies have shown that sEVs offer novel therapeutic options for tumor treatment, such as tumor vaccines and tumor drug carriers. sEVs have attracted a great deal of attention owing to their contribution to in intercellular communication, and as novel biomarkers, and role in the treatment of urological tumors. This article reviews the research and applications of sEVs in the diagnosis and treatment of urological tumors.