Exosomal biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and patient monitoring
Amy Makler, Waseem Asghar
Abstract
Introduction: In recent years, extensive research has been conducted on using exosomes as biomarkers for cancer detection. Exosomes are 40–150 nm-sized extracellular vesicles released by all cell types, including tumor cells. Exosomes are stable in body fluids due to their lipid bilayer member and often contain DNA, RNA, and proteins. These exosomes can be harvested from blood, plasma, serum, urine, or saliva and analyzed for tumor-relevant mutations. Thus, exosomes provide an alternative to current methods of tumor detection.Areas covered: This review discusses the use of exosomal diagnostics in various tumor types as well as their examination in various clinical trials. The authors also discuss the limitations of exosome-based diagnostics in the clinical setting and provide examples of several studies in which the development and usage of microfluidic chips and nano-sensing devices have been utilized to address these obstacles.Expert commentary: In recent years, exosomes and their contents have exhibited potential as novel tumor detection markers despite the labor involved in their harvest and isolation. Despite this, much work is being done to optimize exosome capture and analysis. Thus, their roles as biomarkers in the clinical setting appear promising.