Recent Advances in Exosomal miRNA Biosensing for Liquid Biopsy

As a noninvasive detection technique, liquid biopsy plays a valuable role in cancer diagnosis, disease monitoring, and prognostic assessment. In liquid biopsies, exosomes are considered among the potential biomarkers because they are important bioinformation carriers for intercellular communication. Exosomes transport miRNAs and, thus, play an important role in the regulation of cell growth and function; therefore, detection of cancer cell-derived exosomal miRNAs (exo-miRNAs) gives effective information in liquid biopsy. The development of sensitive, convenient, and reliable exo-miRNA assays will provide new perspectives for medical diagnosis. This review presents different designs and detection strategies of recent exo-miRNA assays in terms of signal transduction and amplification, as well as signal detection. In addition, this review outlines the current attempts at bioassay methods in liquid biopsies. Lastly, the challenges and prospects of exosome bioassays are also considered.

Automated summary

Liquid biopsy, as a noninvasive detection technique, plays a key role in cancer diagnosis, disease monitoring, and prognostic assessment; exosomes, as potential biomarkers, are crucial bioinformation carriers for intercellular communication; the development of sensitive, convenient, and reliable exo-miRNA assays will provide new perspectives for medical diagnosis.