Cancer cell-dependent increase in senescence-like populations following exosome treatment: The role of extracellular matrix and cellular glycocalyx

We read with the great interest the study by Ababneh <i>et al</i> in which induced mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes were shown to exhibit a stronger and more sustained anti-proliferative effect by inducing a senescence-like state without apoptosis. The results obtained by the authors highlight the features of the effects of senescent drift induction in surrounding tissues. In the light of these findings, the role of the properties of extracellular matrix and cellular glycocalyx in responses of human tumors to therapy remain uninvestigated. These extracellular barriers appear to be significant obstacles to effective cancer therapy, especially in relation to the use of unique properties of tumor microenvironment for the immunotherapy-resistant cancer treatment.