Small extracellular vesicles ameliorate peripheral neuropathy and enhance chemotherapy of oxaliplatin on ovarian cancer

Abstract There are no effective treatments for chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) facilitate intercellular communication and mediate nerve function and tumour progression. We found that the treatment of mice bearing ovarian tumour with sEVs derived from cerebral endothelial cells (CEC‐sEVs) in combination with a chemo‐drug, oxaliplatin, robustly reduced oxaliplatin‐induced CIPN by decreasing oxaliplatin‐damaged myelination and nerve fibres of the sciatic nerve and significantly amplified chemotherapy of oxaliplatin by reducing tumour size. The combination therapy substantially increased a set of sEV cargo‐enriched miRNAs, but significantly reduced oxaliplatin‐increased proteins in the sciatic nerve and tumour tissues. Bioinformatics analysis revealed the altered miRNAs and proteins formed two distinct networks that regulate neuropathy and tumour growth, respectively. Intravenously administered CEC‐sEVs were internalized by axons of the sciatic nerve and cancer cells. Reduction of CEC‐sEV cargo miRNAs abolished the effects of CEC‐sEVs on oxaliplatin‐inhibited axonal growth and on amplification of the anti‐cancer effect in ovarian cancer cells, suggesting that alterations in the networks of miRNAs and proteins in recipient cells contribute to the therapeutic effect of CEC‐sEVs on CIPN. Together, the present study demonstrates that CEC‐sEVs suppressed CIPN and enhanced chemotherapy of oxaliplatin in the mouse bearing ovarian tumour.