Clinical value and prospect of extracellular vesicle miRNAs as novel liquid biopsy molecular biomarkers of tumor / 中华检验医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Extracellular vesicles (EV) miRNAs are a class of small non-coding RNAs that are encapsulated in membrane-containing vesicles from a variety of cells, and which can mediate intercellular communication and transfer of functional molecules. EV miRNAs in circulation can be served as novel molecular markers for cancer diagnosis, monitoring and prognosis, and also the most promising liquid biomarkers for clinical translation and utility currently, while optimal research strategy is crucial for identifying valuable EV miRNAs in clinical study. Moreover, EV miRNAs have recently also been implicated in cancer progression as direct regulators of metabolic reprogramming, mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition, angiogenesis, anti-cancer immune response and drug resistance in the tumor microenvironment. Study on some key EV miRNAs involving in those processes may highlight their potential utility as liquid biopsies in early diagnosis, companion diagnosis, metastasis, therapeutic control, prognosis analysis as their therapeutic potential for patients with cancer.