Nanomedicine Journal

Nanomedicine Journal

Gastric cancer-derived nanovesicles affect the viability and effector function of an NK cell line

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Tareq Nayef AlRamadneh 1
Omar Fadaam 2
Abdusamiyeva Nargiza 3
Lochinbek Matrizayev 4
Ahmed Faisal Mutee 5
Swati Mishra 6
Ritesh Singh 7
Navin Kumar Tailor 8
1 Faculty of Allied Medical Sciences, Hourani Center for Applied Scientific Research, Al-Ahliyya Amman University, Amman, Jordan
2 College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, AL-Turath University, Baghdad, Iraq
3 Department of Medicine, Termez University of Economics and Service, Termez, Uzbekistan
4 Department of Medicine, Mamun University Urgench, Uzbekistan.
5 College of Pharmacy,Alnoor University, Mosul, Iraq
6 Department of Pharmacology, IMS and SUM Hospital, Siksha 'O' Anusandhan (Deemed to be University), Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India.
7 Centre for Research Impact and Outcome, Chitkara University, Rajpura, Punjab, India.
8 University Institute of Pharma Sciences, Chandigarh University, Mohali, Punjab, India
10.22038/nmj.2026.93441.2368
Abstract
Objective(s): Gastric cancer is characterized by high mortality rates due to its aggressive progression and immune-evasion strategies. Tumor-derived exosomes (TDEs) are nanovesicles mainly known for their role in modulating the tumor microenvironment, including the suppression of immune effector cells such as NK cells.
Materials and Methods: This study aimed to assess the impact of exosomes released from the human AGS GC cell line on the viability and effector function of the NK-92 cell line. Exosomes were characterized using FE-SEM, DLS, and flow cytometry, confirming their size (approximately 109 nm) and expression of the CD63 marker.
Results: Co-culture of NK-92 cells with exosomes at 30 µg/ml for 48 hours revealed a significant reduction in cell viability in the MTT assay. Quantitative real-time PCR showed increased expression of suppression markers (NKG2A, TGF-β1, and LAG-3), while ELISA indicated decreased IFN-γ production. Flow cytometry-based cell cycle analysis demonstrated increases in the sub-G1 (apoptotic) and G0/G1 phases.
Conclusion: These results suggest that GC-derived exosomes may impair NK cells, potentially contributing to immune evasion and tumor progression. However, these findings were obtained using immortalized AGS and NK-92 cell lines and require validation in primary cells and in vivo models. Insights from this study could inform novel immunotherapeutic approaches targeting exosomal pathways in GC.
Keywords
Gastric cancer
Tumor-derived exosomes
Natural killer cells
Immune evasion
Cytotoxicity
Subjects
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Nanomedicine Journal

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 23 September 2026