title: Tumour-derived exosomes as a signature of pancreatic cancer - liquid biopsies as indicators of tumour progression.
abstract: Pancreatic cancer is the fourth most common cause of death due to cancer in the world. It is known to have a poor prognosis, mostly because early stages of the disease are generally asymptomatic. Progress in pancreatic cancer research has been slow, leaving several fundamental questions pertaining to diagnosis and treatment unanswered. Recent studies highlight the putative utility of tissue-specific vesicles (i.e. extracellular vesicles) in the diagnosis of disease onset and treatment monitoring in pancreatic cancer. Extracellular vesicles are membrane-limited structures derived from the cell membrane. They contain specific molecules including proteins, mRNA, microRNAs and non-coding RNAs that are secreted in the extracellular space. Extracellular vesicles can be classified according to their size and/or origin into microvesicles (~150-1000 nm) and exosomes (~40-120 nm). Microvesicles are released by budding from the plasmatic membrane, whereas exosomes are released via the endocytic pathway by fusion of multivesicular bodies with the plasmatic membrane. This endosomal origin means that exosomes contain an abundance of cell-specific biomolecules which may act as a 'fingerprint' of the cell of origin. In this review, we discuss our current knowledge in the diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic cancer, particularly the potential role of EVs in these facets of disease management. In particular, we suggest that as exosomes contain cellular protein and RNA molecules in a cell type-specific manner, they may provide extensive information about the signature of the tumour and pancreatic cancer progression.
authors.affiliation: Exosome Biology Laboratory, Centre for Clinical Diagnostics, University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, The University of Queensland, Brisbane QLD 4029, Australia.
authors.forename: Zarin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Nuzhat
authors.affiliation: Exosome Biology Laboratory, Centre for Clinical Diagnostics, University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, The University of Queensland, Brisbane QLD 4029, Australia.
authors.forename: Vyjayanthi
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kinhal
authors.affiliation: Exosome Biology Laboratory, Centre for Clinical Diagnostics, University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, The University of Queensland, Brisbane QLD 4029, Australia.
authors.forename: Shayna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.affiliation: Exosome Biology Laboratory, Centre for Clinical Diagnostics, University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, The University of Queensland, Brisbane QLD 4029, Australia.|Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ochsner Baptist Hospital, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
authors.forename: Gregory E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Rice
authors.affiliation: Ochsner Clinic Foundation, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
authors.forename: Virendra
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Joshi
authors.affiliation: Exosome Biology Laboratory, Centre for Clinical Diagnostics, University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, The University of Queensland, Brisbane QLD 4029, Australia.|Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ochsner Baptist Hospital, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Salomon
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001706:Biopsy; D055252:Cell-Derived Microparticles / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018450:Disease Progression; D055354:Exosomes / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010179:Pancreas / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D035683:MicroRNAs
keywords: biomarkers; exosomes; pancreatic cancer