Exosomal PTEN as a Predictive Marker of Aggressive Gliomas

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Molecular Biology
• Biomarkers

Background:

• Liquid biopsies offer a non-invasive alternative to traditional biopsies for disease detection and monitoring.
• Phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted in chromosome 10 (PTEN) is a critical tumor suppressor frequently altered in gliomas.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of detecting PTEN and its downstream genes non-invasively in serum exosomes from glioma patients.
• To correlate exosomal PTEN expression with tumor tissue expression and patient survival.

Main Methods:

• PTEN, Yes-associated-protein 1 (YAP1), and lysyl oxidase (LOX) transcript expression were analyzed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in serum exosomes and paired tumor tissues.
• Sanger sequencing was employed to identify PTEN mutations.
• Overall survival (OS) was monitored in relation to PTEN and its axis genes expression.

Main Results:

• PTEN loss was observed in 32.9% of tumor samples and 32.9% of paired exosomal fractions.
• Upregulation of YAP1 and LOX was noted in PTEN-deficient samples.
• PTEN loss correlated with poorer patient survival, and exosomal PTEN levels mirrored tumor tissue PTEN status.

Conclusions:

• PTEN and its responsive genes YAP1 and LOX are detectable in serum exosomes.
• Serum exosomal PTEN and its axis genes serve as valuable non-invasive biomarkers for identifying aggressive gliomas.