Evaluation of exosome-dependent NF-κB activation in head and neck carcinoma

Introduction Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) are highly immunosuppressive tumors and show increased NF-κB activation. The immunosuppressive effects are caused by inhibitory cytokines but also by tumor-derived exosomes (TEX) in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Exosomes are small extracellular vesicles that can move freely in all body fluids and mediate cell-to-cell communication. TEX contain immunomodulatory molecules influencing the function of immune cells. In this study, we investigate the influence of patient derived exosomes on the NF-κB signaling pathway in context of HNSCC.