Practical tips and new trends in electrochemical biosensing of cancer-related extracellular vesicles

To tackle cancer and provide prompt diagnoses and prognoses, the constantly evolving biosensing field is continuously on the lookout for novel markers that can be non-invasively analysed. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) may represent a promising biomarker that also works as a source of biomarkers. The augmented cellular activity of cancerous cells leads to the production of higher numbers of EVs, which can give direct information on the disease due to the presence of general and cancer-specific surface-tethered molecules. Moreover, the intravesicular space is enriched with other molecules that can considerably help in the early detection of neoplasia. Even though EV-targeted research has indubitably received broad attention lately, there still is a wide lack of practical and effective quantitative procedures due to difficulties in pre-analytical and analytical phases. This review aims at providing an exhaustive outline of the recent progress in EV detection using electrochemical and photoelectrochemical biosensors, with a focus on handling approaches and trends in the selection of bioreceptors and molecular targets related to EVs that might guide researchers that are approaching such an unstandardised field.

Automated summary

In order to address cancer-related issues, the biosensing field is constantly searching for new biomarkers that can be non-invasively analyzed. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have emerged as promising biomarkers that can provide direct information on diseases. However, there is a lack of practical and effective quantitative procedures for EV detection due to difficulties in the pre-analytical and analytical phases. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of recent progress in EV detection using electrochemical and photoelectrochemical biosensors.