Around the world, lung cancer has long been the main
factor in
cancer-related deaths, with small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) being the
deadliest form of lung cancer. Cancer cell-derived exosomes and exosomal
miRNAs are considered promising biomarkers for diagnosing and prognosis
of various diseases, including SCLC. Due to the rapidity of SCLC metastasis,
early detection and diagnosis can offer better diagnosis and prognosis
and therefore increase the patient’s chances of survival. Over
the past several years, many methodologies have been developed for
analyzing non-SCLC-derived exosomes. However, minimal advances have
been made in SCLC-derived exosome analysis methodologies. This Review
discusses the epidemiology and prominent biomarkers of SCLC. Followed
by a discussion about the effective strategies for isolating and detecting
SCLC-derived exosomes and exosomal miRNA, highlighting the critical
challenges and limitations of current methodologies. Finally, an overview
is provided detailing future perspectives for exosome-based SCLC research.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.