The potential of circulating exosomal RNA biomarkers in cancer

ABSTRACT

Introduction

There are great potentials of using exosomal RNAs (exoRNA) as biomarkers in cancers. The isolation of exoRNA requires the use of ultracentrifugation to isolate cell-free RNA followed by detection using real-time PCR, microarray, next-generation sequencing, or Nanostring nCounter system. The use of exoRNA enrichment panels has largely increased the detection sensitivity and specificity when compared to traditional diagnostic tests. Moreover, using exoRNA as biomarkers can assist the early detection of chemo and radioresistance cancer, and in turn opens up the possibility of personalized treatment to patients. Finally, exoRNA can be detected at an early stage of cancer recurrence to improve the survival rate.

Areas covered

In this review, the authors summarized the detection methods of exoRNA as well as its potential as a biomarker in cancer diagnosis and chemo and radioresistance.

Expert opinion

The application of exoRNAs in clinical diagnosis is still in its infancy. Further researches on extracellular vesicles isolation, detection protocols, exoRNA classes and subclasses, and the regulatory biological pathways have to be performed before exoRNA can be applied translationally.

KEYWORDS:

• Exosomal RNA
• exoRNA
• cancer monitoring
• early detection
• noninvasive screening

Article Highlights

• Multiple exoRNAs are dysregulated during the development of various cancers. Hence, there are great potentials of using exoRNAs as cancer biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment monitoring.

• Using exoRNA as a biomarker of cancer is highly sensitive, predictive, robust, and most importantly, minimally invasive.

• Applying exoRNAs as cancer biomarkers in the clinical setting is foreseeable, but time and resources are needed to overcome the obstacles in terms of sample preparation, specification, and peripheral support.

Declaration of Interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Reviewers Disclosure

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial relationships or otherwise to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

This paper was not funded.