AUTHOR=Huang Defa , Rao Dingyu , Xi Xuxiang , Zhang Zuxiong , Zhong Tianyu 

TITLE=Application of extracellular vesicles proteins in cancer diagnosis

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology

VOLUME=Volume 10 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cell-and-developmental-biology/articles/10.3389/fcell.2022.1007360

DOI=10.3389/fcell.2022.1007360

ISSN=2296-634X

ABSTRACT=Early tumor diagnosis is crucial for its treatment and reduction of death, with effective tumor biomarkers being important tools. Exosomes are small vesicles secreted by cells with various biomolecules, including proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids. They harbor a double membrane structure. Previous studies on exosomes in cancer diagnosis and therapy focused on miRNAs. Nonetheless, exosomes contain proteins that represent physiological and pathological state of their parental cells. Exosome proteins can reflect the pathological state of some diseases, which provides a basis for diagnosis and treatment. This study describes the role of exosomes in cancer and summarizes the use of exosomal proteins as diagnostic markers in different cancer types. Specifically, we discuss the potential and shortcomings of exosomes as tumor biomarkers.