Exosomes Are Not a Cure-All: NHRI Reveals Risk of Promoting Cancer Metastasis
The National Health Research Institutes (NHRI) discovered that some exosomes may promote cancer metastasis. They warn that products claiming therapeutic effects without clear ingredient verification cannot ensure safety and call for the establishment of quality standards.
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- 📰 Published: June 1, 2026 at 13:51
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Central News Agency, Taipei, June 1. Exosome products are booming in the biotech industry, but the National Health Research Institutes (NHRI) recently discovered that some extracellular vesicles (EVs) may carry the risk of causing cancer metastasis. Exosome products that claim therapeutic effects without clarifying their components are difficult to ensure for safety, and the NHRI calls for the establishment of complete quality standards.
Extracellular vesicles are a hot topic in regenerative medicine, with exosomes being the most well-known type. NHRI President Sytwu Huey-kang stated at a press conference today that exosomes are like 'messengers' and 'couriers' between cells, responsible for transmitting information and coordinating interactions. Exosomes have high permeability and targeting characteristics, making them promising as nano-missile-like drug carriers.
Sytwu reminded that exosome technology is seen as an important direction for future clinical applications, with promising prospects in anti-aging, tissue repair, and regenerative medicine. However, it is worth noting that not all exosomes are beneficial. During tumor development, exosomes released by cancer cells act like an advance guard, altering the surrounding microenvironment and creating favorable conditions for cancer metastasis.
Li Hua-jung, Deputy Director of the Institute of Cellular and Systemic Medicine at the NHRI, explained that the research team found that extracellular vesicles could promote cancer metastasis. Breast cancer cells with a tendency for lung metastasis have higher levels of ST6GAL1 on their surface, which acts on specific proteins. This special glycosylation modification acts like a 'lung pass' for cancer cells.
Li said this pass makes it easier for cancer cells to interact with lung vascular endothelium, cross the vascular barrier, and settle to form metastatic lesions. More importantly, exosomes released by cancer cells also carry similar surface glycosylation modifications, which can change pulmonary vascular permeability and assist cancer cells in settling in distant organs.
The research team pointed out that extracellular vesicles can promote cancer metastasis, inflammatory responses, or tumor microenvironment remodeling under specific conditions. Therefore, if therapeutic claims are made based solely on the presence of extracellular vesicles or their cellular origin without clarifying their specific components, mechanisms of action, and potential risks, it is difficult to ensure safety and efficacy.
Related products currently on the market lack verification of effective components and in vivo distribution. According to the latest NHRI research, extracellular vesicles are not a panacea; their efficacy and safety depend highly on the state of the source cells, the effective components contained, their distribution after entering the body, and whether they can accurately reach the lesion.
Related research has been published in international journals such as 'Cancer Research' and 'Journal of Extracellular Vesicles,' as well as in a column of the 'Contemporary Pharmaceutical Regulation Monthly' by the Center for Drug Evaluation.
The NHRI calls for the future focus of extracellular vesicle therapy to be not just on 'producing extracellular vesicles,' but on establishing complete quality standards that are 'definable, detectable, traceable, and verifiable' to protect patient safety, avoid market chaos, and provide important scientific references for the development, quality assessment, and regulation of future extracellular vesicle therapeutic products.
Extracellular vesicles are a hot topic in regenerative medicine, with exosomes being the most well-known type. NHRI President Sytwu Huey-kang stated at a press conference today that exosomes are like 'messengers' and 'couriers' between cells, responsible for transmitting information and coordinating interactions. Exosomes have high permeability and targeting characteristics, making them promising as nano-missile-like drug carriers.
Sytwu reminded that exosome technology is seen as an important direction for future clinical applications, with promising prospects in anti-aging, tissue repair, and regenerative medicine. However, it is worth noting that not all exosomes are beneficial. During tumor development, exosomes released by cancer cells act like an advance guard, altering the surrounding microenvironment and creating favorable conditions for cancer metastasis.
Li Hua-jung, Deputy Director of the Institute of Cellular and Systemic Medicine at the NHRI, explained that the research team found that extracellular vesicles could promote cancer metastasis. Breast cancer cells with a tendency for lung metastasis have higher levels of ST6GAL1 on their surface, which acts on specific proteins. This special glycosylation modification acts like a 'lung pass' for cancer cells.
Li said this pass makes it easier for cancer cells to interact with lung vascular endothelium, cross the vascular barrier, and settle to form metastatic lesions. More importantly, exosomes released by cancer cells also carry similar surface glycosylation modifications, which can change pulmonary vascular permeability and assist cancer cells in settling in distant organs.
The research team pointed out that extracellular vesicles can promote cancer metastasis, inflammatory responses, or tumor microenvironment remodeling under specific conditions. Therefore, if therapeutic claims are made based solely on the presence of extracellular vesicles or their cellular origin without clarifying their specific components, mechanisms of action, and potential risks, it is difficult to ensure safety and efficacy.
Related products currently on the market lack verification of effective components and in vivo distribution. According to the latest NHRI research, extracellular vesicles are not a panacea; their efficacy and safety depend highly on the state of the source cells, the effective components contained, their distribution after entering the body, and whether they can accurately reach the lesion.
Related research has been published in international journals such as 'Cancer Research' and 'Journal of Extracellular Vesicles,' as well as in a column of the 'Contemporary Pharmaceutical Regulation Monthly' by the Center for Drug Evaluation.
The NHRI calls for the future focus of extracellular vesicle therapy to be not just on 'producing extracellular vesicles,' but on establishing complete quality standards that are 'definable, detectable, traceable, and verifiable' to protect patient safety, avoid market chaos, and provide important scientific references for the development, quality assessment, and regulation of future extracellular vesicle therapeutic products.
FAQ
Are exosomes safe?
According to NHRI research, some may promote cancer metastasis, and establishing quality standards is essential.