Autophagy and Extracellular Vesicles in Colorectal Cancer: Interactions and Common Actors?

Simple Summary Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are known for their ability to survive under stressful conditions. To this aim, they use autophagy to recycle their altered organelles and proteins by addressing them toward a lysosome for their degradation. CSCs can also communicate with their environment using the secretion of extracellular vesicles (EVs) which carry information, strengthening their ability to survive under such conditions. Both mechanisms are known for using common actors and have been described as implicated in colorectal cancer (CRC). However, CSCs remain difficult to target due to the lack of specific markers identified, especially in colorectal cancer. Then, the study of the crosstalk between autophagy and the secretion of EVs seems crucial regarding a better targeting of CSCs. Autophagy is a homeostatic process involved in the degradation of disabled proteins and organelles using lysosomes. This mechanism requires the recruitment of specialized proteins for vesicle trafficking, that may also be involved in other types of machinery such as the biogenesis and secretion of extracellular vesicles (EVs), and particularly small EVs called exosomes. Among these proteins, Rab-GTPases may operate in both pathways, thus representing an interesting avenue for further study regarding the interaction between autophagy and extracellular vesicle machinery. Both mechanisms are involved in the development of colorectal cancer (CRC), particularly in cancer stem cell (CSC) survival and communication, although they are not specific to CRC or CSCs. This highlights the importance of studying the crosstalk between autophagy and EVs biogenesis and release.