Glioblastoma Derived Exosomes Induce Apoptosis in Cytotoxic T Cells Through a Fas Ligand Mediated Mechanism

Introduction Glioblastoma multiforme deploys a number of weapons to thwart the immune system. Within the tumor microenvironment, tumor infiltrating T cells fall victim to cellular and soluble mediators of apoptosis. In prostate and colorectal cancer models, exosomes can induce T cell apoptosis. Exosomes are tiny, membrane bound vesicles that are released from a cell. They contain functional mRNA and protein and have cell surface molecules representative of their parent cell. It is not known if GBM derived exosomes can also mediate apoptosis. In this study, the role of GBM derived exosomes in T cell apoptosis is explored.