The incidence of cutaneous malignant melanoma is increasing worldwide. While the treatment of initial stages of the disease is simple, the advanced disease frequently remains fatal despite novel therapeutic options . This requires identification of novel therapeutic targets in melanoma. Similarly to other types of tumours, the cancer microenvironment plays a prominent role and determines the biological properties of melanoma. Importantly, melanoma cell-produced exosomes represent an important tool of intercellular communication within this cancer ecosystem. We have focused on potential differences in the activity of exosomes produced by melanoma cells towards melanoma-associated fibroblasts and normal dermal fibroblasts. Cancer-associated fibroblasts were activated by the melanoma cell-produced exosomes significantly more than their normal counterparts, as assessed by increased transcription of genes for inflammation-supporting cytokines and chemokines, namely IL-6 or IL-8. We have observed that the response is dependent on the duration of the stimulus via exosomes and also on the quantity of exosomes. Our study demonstrates that melanoma-produced exosomes significantly stimulate the tumour-promoting proinflammatory activity of cancer-associated fibroblasts. This may represent a potential new target of oncologic therapy .

BIOCEV 1st Faculty of Medicine Charles University 25250 Vestec Czech Republic

BIOCEV Faculty of Sciences Charles University 25250 Vestec Czech Republic

Department of Dermatovenereology 1st Faculty of Medicine Charles University and General University Hospital 120 00 Prague 2 Czech Republic

Department of Informatics and Chemistry Faculty of Chemical Technology University of Chemistry and Technology Prague Czech Republic

Electron Microscopy Core Facility Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences 142 20 Prague 4 Czech Republic

Institute of Anatomy 1st Faculty of Medicine Charles University 128 00 Prague 2 Czech Republic

Institute of Pathological Physiology 1st Faculty of Medicine Charles University 128 00 Praha Czech Republic

Laboratory of Genomics and Bioinformatics Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences 142 20 Prague 4 Czech Republic

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