Clinical relevance of extracellular vesicles in hematological neoplasms: from liquid biopsy to cell biopsy

In the era of precision medicine, liquid biopsy is becoming increasingly important in oncology. It consists in the isolation and analysis of tumor-derived biomarkers, including extracellular vesicles (EVs), in body fluids. EVs are lipid bilayer-enclosed particles, heterogeneous in size and molecular composition, released from both normal and neoplastic cells. In tumor context, EVs are valuable carriers of cancer information; in fact, their amount, phenotype and molecular cargo, including proteins, lipids, metabolites and nucleic acids, mirror nature and origin of parental cells rendering EVs appealing candidates as novel biomarkers. Translation of these new potential diagnostic tools into clinical practice could deeply revolutionize the cancer field mainly for solid tumors but for hematological neoplasms, too.

Automated summary

Liquid biopsy is becoming increasingly important in oncology within the era of precision medicine, allowing for the isolation and analysis of tumor-derived biomarkers such as extracellular vesicles (EVs) in body fluids. EVs, as lipid bilayer-enclosed particles, have emerged as valuable carriers of cancer information, offering potential as novel biomarkers due to their molecular cargo mirroring parental cell characteristics. The translation of these new diagnostic tools into clinical practice has the potential to deeply revolutionize the field of cancer research.