Current status and prospects for pancreatic cancer diagnosis by exosome-based liquid biopsy

Abstract

Biomarkers are essential for the early detection of pancreatic cancer, which has few subjective symptoms. Delayed detection of pancreatic cancer is associated with increased mortality due to its often rapid dissemination. Currently, the development of cancer screening tests a using liquid biopsy is underway worldwide, and some testing methods are now covered by the national health insurance system in Japan. There are several materials that can be analyzed by liquid biopsy. Exosomes, secreted by cells, are attracting attention as a new target for liquid biopsy. In this paper, we introduce some examples of exosome-based liquid biopsies, which analyze and detect molecules contained in exosomes from blood and other fluids for diagnosis, mainly from the viewpoint of early diagnosis, and outline the potential for exosomes in the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.