• Assessment of the Anti-cancer Effects of Camel Milk Exosomes (CMEXOs) on Murine Colorectal Cancer Cell Line (CT-26)
  • Samira Karbasi,1 Nafiseh Erfanian,2 Hamideh Dehghan,3 Asghar Zarban,4 Mohammad Hasan Namaei,5 Saeed Nasseri,6,*
    1. Cardiovascular Diseases Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
    2. Student Research Committee, Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
    3. Student Research Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
    4. Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
    5. Infectious Diseases Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
    6. Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran


  • Introduction: Today, camel milk consumption in the Middle East is trendy because it is believed that it reduces the risk of cancer. Recently, studies have discovered that most of milk's beneficial effects are because of its nanoparticles, especially exosomes. The objective of the present research was to investigate the anti-cancer effects of camel milk exosomes (CMEXOs) in the murine colorectal cancer cell line (CT-26).
  • Methods: After isolation and characterization of CMEXOs, we investigated their effects on the proliferation and migration of CT-26 cells using MTT and scratch assay. Additionally, we employed real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) to analyze the expression levels of IL-6 and TNF-α genes in CT-26 cells.
  • Results: Our findings verified the existence of exosomes measuring approximately 114.1±3.4 nm in diameter. Through MTT and migration assays, we established that CMEXOs exhibit dosedependent anti-proliferative and anti-migration effects on the CT-26 cell line. Furthermore, our study showed that treatment with CMEXOs led to a reduction in TNF-α and IL-6 gene expression in CT-26 cells.
  • Conclusion: While additional in vivo studies are required, our data demonstrate that CMEXOs have antiproliferative and anti-migration effects on CT-26, possibly by influencing crucial genes within the inflammation pathway.
  • Keywords: Camel milk; Colorectal cancer; Exosomes; IL-6; TNF-α