Isolation of exosomes from liquid biopsy and its potential clinical application

Abstract

Exosomes are extracellular micro-vesicles secreted by all cell types that have become of high-priority due to their potential clinical application for identification of new biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis, and monitoring of neuro degenerative diseases and cancer and also, to determine their potential therapeutic application. Since these vesicles are found naturally in body fluids such as blood, urine, or saliva, it is possible to isolate them from a liquid biopsy to analyze their content, elucidate their interaction with different cell populations (crosstalk), and determine its effect during the development of particular pathologies. In this review we address the latest findings related to the design and application of extracellular vesicle-based therapies, particularly exosomes, for the treatment of cancer or as biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis, or monitoring of diseases.