Docosahexaenoic acid reverses the promoting effects of breast tumor cell-derived exosomes on endothelial cell migration and angiogenesis.

Aim: As a natural compound, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) exerts anti-cancer and anti-angiogenesis functions through exosomes; however, little is known about the molecular mechanisms.

Main Methods: Breast cancer (BC) cells were treated with DHA (50 μM) and then tumor cell-derived exosomes (TDEs) were collected and characterized by electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, and western blot analyses. By the time the cells were treated with DHA, RT-qPCR was used to investigate the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and the selected pro- and anti-angiogenic microRNAs (miRNAs).