PiRNA Obtained through Liquid Biopsy as a Possible Cancer Biomarker

In recent years PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) have gained the interest of scientists, mainly because of their possible implications in cancer. Many kinds of research showed how their expression can be linked to malignant diseases. However, most of them evaluated the expression of piRNAs in tumor tissues. It was shown how these non-coding RNAs can interfere with many signaling pathways involved in the regulation of proliferation or apoptosis. A comparison of piRNA expression in tumor tissue and adjacent healthy tissues has demonstrated they can be used as biomarkers. However, this way of obtaining samples has a significant drawback, which is the invasiveness of such a procedure. Liquid biopsy is an alternative for acquiring biological material with little to no harm to a patient. Several different piRNAs in various types of cancer were shown to be expressed in bodily fluids such as blood or urine. Furthermore, their expression significantly differed between cancer patients and healthy individuals. Hence, this review aimed to assess the possible use of liquid biopsy for cancer diagnosis with piRNAs as biomarkers.

Automated summary

In recent years, scientists have become interested in PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) due to their potential implications in cancer. Research has shown their expression can be linked to malignant diseases, particularly in tumor tissues. However, obtaining these samples can be invasive, so researchers have explored using liquid biopsy as an alternative. Various piRNAs have been found to be expressed in bodily fluids and their expression differs significantly between cancer patients and healthy individuals. Hence, this review aims to assess the use of liquid biopsy with piRNAs as biomarkers for cancer diagnosis.