Integrative proteomic profiling of tumor and plasma extracellular vesicles identifies a diagnostic biomarker panel for colorectal cancer
The lack of reliable non-invasive biomarkers for early colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnosis underscores the need for improved diagnostic tools. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have emerged as promising candidates for liquid-biopsy-based cancer monitoring. Here, we propose a comprehensive workflow that integrates staged mass spectrometry (MS)-based discovery and verification with ELISA-based validation to identify EV protein biomarkers for CRC. Our approach, applied to 1,272 individuals, yields a machine learning model, ColonTrack, incorporating EV proteins HNRNPK, CTTN, and PSMC6. ColonTrack effectively distinguishes CRC from non-CRC cases and identifies early-stage CRC with high accuracy (combined area under the curve [AUC] >0.97, sensitivity ∼0.94, specificity ∼0.93). Our analysis of EV protein profiles from tissue and plasma demonstrates ColonTrack's potential as a robust non-invasive biomarker panel for CRC diagnosis and early detection.
Authors
- Yu-Chen Zhong
- Jianwen Cheng (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1321-5791)
- Wen-Jing Zheng (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4918-1159)
- Anquan Shang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2820-1982)
- Wenjing Yang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2990-9341)
- Wei Guo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9924-638X)
- Jingrong Xian (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6643-3752)
- Chenzheng Gu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3098-9027)
- H. Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6321-2391)
- Cheng Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1834-2119)
- Pengxiang Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3483-6810)
- Haojie Lu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3477-7662)
- Jia Fan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3487-2328)
- Jian Zhou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-4166-8058)
- Xin-Rong Yang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7409-6901)
Institutions
- Sun Yat-sen University (CN)
- Fudan University (CN)
- Zhongshan Hospital (CN)
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Cell Reports Medicine
- Published
- 2025-05-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrm.2025.102090
- Citations
- 12
- Primary Topic
- Extracellular vesicles in disease
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 9.67