Extracellular Vesicles: Recent Developments in Technology and Perspectives for Cancer Liquid Biopsy

Area of Science:

• Cell Biology
• Biochemistry
• Oncology

Background:

• Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nanoscale vesicles involved in intercellular communication, regulating physiological and pathological processes.
• Tumor-derived EVs play roles in tumor growth, metastasis, and immune suppression.
• Existing isolation techniques often fail to differentiate between EV subtypes (exosomes, microvesicles, apoptotic bodies).

Purpose of the Study:

• To review advancements in the analysis of extracellular vesicles from body fluids for potential biomarker applications.
• To provide an overview of key EV constituents (proteins, RNA, DNA) as potential cancer biomarkers.
• To discuss current technologies and future directions for quantitative EV analysis in clinical settings.

Main Methods:

• Review of scientific literature on extracellular vesicle analysis and EV-based liquid biopsy.
• Analysis of EV constituents including surface proteins, intravesicular proteins, mRNA, miRNA, and DNA.
• Discussion of technological developments for quantitative EV detection and analysis.

Main Results:

• Extracellular vesicles (EVs) from body fluids hold significant potential as biomarkers for cancer diagnosis, prediction, and prognosis.
• EV surface proteins, intravesicular content (RNA, DNA), reflect the cell of origin, offering a rich source of diagnostic information.
• Technological progress is enabling more precise and quantitative analysis of EVs in clinical settings.

Conclusions:

• EV-based liquid biopsy represents a promising non-invasive approach for cancer detection and monitoring.
• Further technological development is crucial for realizing the full potential of EVs as clinical biomarkers.
• Future research should focus on standardized, high-precision liquid biopsy methods for widespread clinical adoption.