Exosomal miR-145-5p impairs neoadjuvant chemotherapy by suppressing TFRC-mediated macrophage iron uptake and driving M2 polarization in esophageal cancer

Esophageal cancer (EC) remains a highly aggressive malignancy with limited therapeutic success, partly due to heterogeneous responses to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). Tumor-derived exosomes and tumor-associated macrophages play critical roles in shaping the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, but their crosstalk in EC chemoresistance remains unclear. In this study, we identified tumor-derived exosomal miR-145-5p as a potential predictor of poor NAC response. Elevated exosomal miR-145-5p levels were associated with increased M2 macrophage infiltration and enhanced expression of M2 markers in EC tissues. Mechanistically, miR-145-5p promoted M2 macrophage polarization through the suppression of transferrin receptor (TFRC) and subsequent disruption of iron uptake. Consequently, these tumor-promoting M2-polarized macrophages enhanced EC cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and cisplatin resistance. In vivo, macrophages overexpressing miR-145-5p facilitated tumor growth and markedly weakened the therapeutic effects of cisplatin. Overall, our findings reveal that EC cells utilize exosomal miR-145-5p to remodel macrophages into a pro-tumorigenic phenotype through TFRC-dependent iron metabolic reprogramming, contributing to malignant progression and chemoresistance. Exosomal miR-145-5p may represent a promising biomarker for NAC response and a therapeutic target to improve treatment outcomes in EC.