Exosomes in Ovarian Cancer: Promoters, Biomarkers, and Therapeutic Targets

Ovarian cancer is an aggressive malignancy treated primarily with surgery and platinum-based chemotherapy. The high recurrence rate and platinum resistance are the primary reasons for poor prognosis in ovarian cancer. Early screening can improve patient survival, but there are currently no high-precision biomarkers available. Exosomes are nanoscale vesicles that mediate intercellular communication by transferring bioactive molecules, and their composition reflects pathological states. Late diagnosis is the primary cause of poor prognosis in patients with ovarian cancer. Owing to the high stability conferred by their unique structure, exosomes can serve as an efficient, non-invasive approach for early screening. In the context of drug delivery, engineered exosomes using novel advanced technologies can enhance the specificity of clinical pharmacotherapy and reduce adverse toxic reactions. This review summarizes the latest research findings on ovarian cancer-related exosomes and introduces their important roles in exploring the mechanisms of ovarian cancer progression, metastasis, and chemoresistance, as well as their potential as prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets.