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Updated: Feb 15, 2026

Perspectives on Neuroscience
Published on: July 31, 2007
Extracellular RNAs: A New Awareness of Old Perspectives
Noah Sadik1, Lilian Cruz2, Alessandra Gurtner1,3
1Department of Neurosurgery, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Abstract:
Extracellular RNA (exRNA) has recently expanded as a highly important area of study in biomarker discovery and cancer therapeutics. exRNA consists of diverse RNA subpopulations that are normally protected from degradation by incorporation into membranous vesicles or by lipid/protein association. They are found circulating in biofluids, and have proven highly promising for minimally invasive diagnostic and prognostic purposes, particularly in oncology. Recent work has made progress in our understanding of exRNAs-from their biogenesis, compartmentalization, and vesicle packaging to their various applications as biomarkers and therapeutics, as well as the new challenges that arise in isolation and purification for accurate and reproducible analysis. Here we review the most recent advancements in exRNA research.
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