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Updated: Aug 24, 2025
MicroRNA Based Liquid Biopsy: The Experience of the Plasma miRNA Signature Classifier MSC for Lung Cancer Screening
Published on: October 26, 2017
Small extravesicular microRNA in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and its potential as a liquid biopsy for early
Chenna R Galiveti1, Damaris Kuhnell1, Jacek Biesiada2
1Division of Epidemiology, Department of Environmental & Public Health Sciences, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
Background:
The objective was to assess secretion of small extracellular vesicular microRNA (exo-miRNA) in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) according to human papillomavirus (HPV) status, and determine the translational potential as a liquid biopsy for early detection.
Methods:
This study employed a combination of cell culture and case-control study design using archival pretreatment serum. Small extracellular vesicles (sEV) were isolated from conditioned culture media and human serum samples via differential ultracentrifugation. miRNA-sequencing was performed on each sEV isolate.
Results:
There were clear exo-miRNA profiles that distinguished HNSCC cell lines from nonpathologic oral epithelial control cells. While there was some overlap among profiles across all samples, there were apparent differences in exo-miRNA profiles according to HPV-status. Importantly, differential exo-miRNA profiles were also apparent in serum from early-stage HNSCC cases relative to cancer-free controls.
Conclusions:
Our findings indicate that exo-miRNA are highly dysregulated in HNSCC and support the potential of exo-miRNA as biomarkers for HNSCC.
