TY - JOUR
T1 - Thinking small to win big?
T2 - A critical review on the potential application of extracellular vesicles for biomarker discovery and new therapeutic approaches in pancreatic cancer
AU - Vahabi, Mahrou
AU - Comandatore, Annalisa
AU - Centra, Chiara
AU - Blandino, Giovanni
AU - Morelli, Luca
AU - Giovannetti, Elisa
N1 - Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.
PY - 2023/12
Y1 - 2023/12
N2 - Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an extremely deadly form of cancer, with limited progress in 5-year survival rates despite significant research efforts. The main challenges in treating PDAC include difficulties in early detection, and resistance to current therapeutic approaches due to aggressive molecular and microenvironment features. These challenges emphasize the importance of identifying clinically validated biomarkers for early detection and clinical management. Extracellular vesicles (EVs), particularly exosomes, have emerged as crucial mediators of intercellular communication by transporting molecular cargo. Recent research has unveiled their role in initiation, metastasis, and chemoresistance of PDAC. Consequently, utilizing EVs in liquid biopsies holds promise for the identification of biomarkers for early detection, prognosis, and monitoring of drug efficacy. However, numerous limitations, including challenges in isolation and characterization of homogeneous EVs populations, as well as the absence of standardized protocols, can affect the reliability of studies involving EVs as biomarkers, underscoring the necessity for a prudent approach. EVs have also garnered considerable attention as a promising drug delivery system and novel therapy for tumors. The loading of biomolecules or chemical drugs into exosomes and their subsequent delivery to target cells can effectively impede tumor progression. Nevertheless, there are obstacles that must be overcome to ensure the accuracy and efficacy of therapies relying on EVs for the treatment of tumors. In this review, we examine both recent advancements and remaining obstacles, exploring the potential of utilizing EVs in biomarker discovery as well as for the development of drug delivery vehicles.
AB - Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an extremely deadly form of cancer, with limited progress in 5-year survival rates despite significant research efforts. The main challenges in treating PDAC include difficulties in early detection, and resistance to current therapeutic approaches due to aggressive molecular and microenvironment features. These challenges emphasize the importance of identifying clinically validated biomarkers for early detection and clinical management. Extracellular vesicles (EVs), particularly exosomes, have emerged as crucial mediators of intercellular communication by transporting molecular cargo. Recent research has unveiled their role in initiation, metastasis, and chemoresistance of PDAC. Consequently, utilizing EVs in liquid biopsies holds promise for the identification of biomarkers for early detection, prognosis, and monitoring of drug efficacy. However, numerous limitations, including challenges in isolation and characterization of homogeneous EVs populations, as well as the absence of standardized protocols, can affect the reliability of studies involving EVs as biomarkers, underscoring the necessity for a prudent approach. EVs have also garnered considerable attention as a promising drug delivery system and novel therapy for tumors. The loading of biomolecules or chemical drugs into exosomes and their subsequent delivery to target cells can effectively impede tumor progression. Nevertheless, there are obstacles that must be overcome to ensure the accuracy and efficacy of therapies relying on EVs for the treatment of tumors. In this review, we examine both recent advancements and remaining obstacles, exploring the potential of utilizing EVs in biomarker discovery as well as for the development of drug delivery vehicles.
KW - Humans
KW - Reproducibility of Results
KW - Extracellular Vesicles/pathology
KW - Pancreatic Neoplasms/diagnosis
KW - Exosomes
KW - Biomarkers
KW - Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal/diagnosis
KW - Tumor Microenvironment
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.semcancer.2023.11.003
DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.semcancer.2023.11.003
M3 - Review article
C2 - 37956937
SN - 1044-579X
VL - 97
SP - 50
EP - 67
JO - Seminars in Cancer Biology
JF - Seminars in Cancer Biology
ER -