Encoded Fusion-Mediated MicroRNA Signature Profiling of Tumor-Derived Extracellular Vesicles for Pancreatic Cancer Diagnosis
Jianzhou Feng, Yun Shu, Yu An, Qi Niu, Qian Fan, Yan‐Mei Lei, Yanli Gong, Xiaoya Hu, Peng Zhang, Yingbin Liu, Chaoyong Yang, Lingling Wu
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) in tumor-derived extracellular vesicles (tEVs) are important cancer biomarkers for cancer screening and early diagnosis. Multiplex detection of miRNAs in tEVs facilitates accurate diagnosis but remains a challenge. Herein, we propose an encoded fusion strategy to profile the miRNA signature in tEVs for pancreatic cancer diagnosis. A panel of encoded-targeted-fusion beads was fabricated for the selective recognition and fusion of tEVs, with the turn-on fluorescence signals of molecule beacons for miRNA quantification and barcode signals for miRNA identification using readily accessible flow cytometers. Using this strategy, six types of pancreatic-cancer-associated miRNAs can be profiled in tEVs from 2 μL plasma samples ( n = 36) in an isolation-free and lysis-free manner with only 2 h of processing, offering a high accuracy (98%) to discriminate pancreatic cancer, pancreatitis, and healthy donors. This encoded fusion strategy exhibits great potential for multiplex profiling of miRNA in tEVs, offering new avenues for cancer diagnosis and screening.