Characterization of Protein Profiling and mRNA Expression of LLC Exosomes

Circulating exosomes are promising biomarker source in various diseases. Exosomal constituents can stably exist in the circulating plasma and serum thus making them ideal biomarkers for a number of clinical applications. Exosomes can also mediate the occurrence of many types of diseases, including distal cancerous metastasis and tumour enlargement, through encapsulated proteins or RNAs, which regulate interactions among tissues. While performing these actions, exosomes show tissue specificity. However, the mechanism for such selection is not clear. For non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), molecular diagnostic markers and mechanisms of exosome-mediated tumour metastasis are not well understood. Therefore, in this study, we characterized LLC exosomal proteins and mRNAs by analysing their molecular profiles, laying a foundation for exploring diagnostic markers of lung cancer. Furthermore, the interactions between exosomal membrane proteins and their target proteins were analysed and revealed a possible tissue propensity of LLC cell-derived exosomes. These findings provide a theoretical basis for studying exosome-mediated tissue targeting and distal lung cancer metastasis.