Research Progress of Exosome-based Liquid Biopsy in Diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer

Abstract

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a highly malignant tumor of the digestive system. Due to the lack of sensitive and effective detection markers, the tumor is usually at a relatively advanced stage in initial diagnosis. Therefore, early detection of PC is crucial for timely treatment and better prognosis. Exosomes are extracellular vesicles secreted by cells. They have a lipid bimolecular membrane structure to ensure the stable existence of a large number of biologically active substances contained therein. So they can accurately reflect the characteristics of parental cells. Exosomes are widely present in various body fluids and can non-invasively, conveniently and real-timely extracted, with the potential to become a marker for early tumor diagnosis. Previous studies have shown that compared with traditional diagnostic methods, exosomes showed higher sensitivity and specificity in the early diagnosis of various cancers. This article reviews the research progress of exosomes in the early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.

Keywords

• pancreatic carcinoma
• diagnosis
• exosomes
• liquid biopsy