ne-related molecules. Given the previous history of exosomes in the immunobiology of tumors we asked if D283MED exosomes could influence interferon-c release from activated human T cells. Healthy donor T cells were activated to secrete IFNG by phytohemagglutinin stimulation in the presence of increasing concentrations of tumor exosomes. As seen in 7 Functional Roles of Medulloblastoma Exosomes 8 Functional Roles of Medulloblastoma Exosomes shown as dashed lines. Connections between proteins identified in this proteomic screen are shown in dark blue; interactions between proteins we identified and proteins not identified in our proteomics are shown in turquoise. Protein shapes are indicative of function and that legend is shown in with PHA, whereby quantities of exosomes from 5 mg/ml up to 100 mg/ml lead to significantly decreased amounts of IFNG, whereas greater quantities of exosomes actually increase IFNG output from the activated T cells. There are relatively few publications where assays were performed with exosome concentrations that were as high as ours, which raises the question of a critical balance between immune stimulation versus suppression. The merged interactomes of Networks 3 and 5 generated a distinct hub around hepatocyte nuclear transcription factor 4 alpha, suggesting its involvement in tumor metabolism and transcriptional regulation. The hypolipidemic 
and anti-diabetogenic drug MEDICA16 is a known inhibitor of HNF4A activity, and given the appearance of a central role for HNF4A, we hypothesized that inhibition of this transcription factor would reduce D283MED proliferation. Thus, we treated the medulloblastoma cells with a range of concentrations of MEDICA16 over varying time courses and saw increased cell proliferation at all but the highest concentrations, where carrier effects and drug solubility impacted the results. We further carried out soft-agar clonogenicity assays where we added exogenous exosomes as part of the assay. While both drug and exosomes modestly but significantly increased clonogenic outgrowth of the treated cells, combinations of drug and exosomes had no additional impacts on the medulloblastoma cells compared PubMed ID:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22204719 to exosomes or drugs alone. These results suggest that HNF4A may actually be a tumor suppressor in D283MED cells, which is similar to its role as a cell differentiator in hepatocellular SB 743921 carcinoma. Thus, it may be loaded into tumor exosomes as a means of packaging and disposal for removal from the cell. Discussion In this report we demonstrated the presence of medulloblastoma exosomes in the cell lines D283MED, DAOY, and UW228, along with biochemical and TEM evidence of tumor exosomes in sera from patients with medulloblastomas. These exosomes share biochemical and biophysical properties of exosomes from other cell types, including size, density, canonical heat shock protein content, acetylcholinesterase activity, and extremely basic isoelectric points. Using proteins we identified previously, and those identified here by Western blotting and by gel-based proteomics, we have established both the commonality and uniqueness of the medulloblastoma exosome proteome, and with the application of analytical software, have generated logical and functional classifications of the proteins detected. These analyses led to testing of functional roles played by exosomes in proliferation, migration, and immune responses. Further indications from the proteomics suggested an important role for hepatocyte nu
