Chapters authored
Novel Implications of Exosomes and lncRNAs in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer
Pancreatic cancer remains a leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Most patients are present with advanced stages of the disease at the time of diagnosis; thus, surgery, which is the best curative option for this malignancy, is no longer an effective treatment modality for affected individuals. As a likely source of “liquid biopsies,” exosomes, which are secreted by fusing intracellular multivesicular bodies with cell membranes, have relative stability and composition, allowing them to cover the entire range of cancer-related biomarkers, including cellular proteins, lipids, DNA, RNA, miRNA, and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). To explore the early detection biomarkers of pancreatic cancer and to develop successful therapeutic intervention for this disease, assessing the implications of exosomes in pancreatic cancer patients is essential. In this chapter, we wish to focus on the possibility of using exosomes and lncRNAs in the clinical management of patients with pancreatic cancer. We will discuss the mechanisms of tumor formation under the exosomal action, demonstrate how circulating exosomes and lncRNAs have come into the research spotlight as likely biomarkers of pancreatic cancer, and discuss the applications of exosomes as transfer vectors in tumor therapeutics.
Part of the book: Novel Implications of Exosomes in Diagnosis and Treatment of Cancer and Infectious Diseases