Exosomes as Powerful Biomarkers in Cancer: Recent Advances in Isolation and Detection Techniques

Qiongdan Zhang,1,2,* Huizhen Wang,1,2,* Qingyi Liu,1,2 Ni Zeng,1,2 Gang Fu,1,2 Yixing Qiu,1,2 Yupei Yang,1,2 Hanwen Yuan,1,2 Wei Wang,1,2 Bin Li1,2 1TCM and Ethnomedicine Innovation & Development International Laboratory, School of Pharmacy, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, People’s Republic of China; 2School of Pharmacy, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Wei Wang; Bin Li, Tel +86-136-5743-8606 ; +86-158-7410-0917, Email wangwei402@hotmail.com; libin@hnucm.edu.cnAbstract: Exosomes, small extracellular vesicles derived from cells, are known to carry important bioactive molecules such as proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids. These bioactive components play crucial roles in cell signaling, immune response, and tumor metastasis, making exosomes potential diagnostic biomarkers for various diseases. However, current methods for detecting tumor exosomes face scientific challenges including low sensitivity, poor specificity, complicated procedures, and high costs. It is essential to surmount these obstacles to enhance the precision and dependability of diagnostics that rely on exosomes. Merging DNA signal amplification techniques with the signal boosting capabilities of nanomaterials presents an encouraging strategy to overcome these constraints and improve exosome detection. This article highlights the use of DNA signal amplification technology and nanomaterials’ signal enhancement effect to improve the detection of exosomes. This review seeks to offer valuable perspectives for the enhancement of amplification methods applied in practical cancer diagnosis and prognosis by providing an overview of how these novel technologies are utilized in exosome-based diagnostic procedures. Keywords: tumor, exosomes, nanomaterials, DNA signal amplification