Liquid biopsy based on EV biomarkers: A new frontier for early diagnosis and prognosis assessment of cancer at ESMO 2024

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are emerging as powerful biomarkers in liquid biopsy, offering insights into early cancer diagnosis, precision treatment, and prognosis evaluation. EVs, including microvesicles, exosomes, and apoptotic bodies, carry molecular cargo that reflects the physiological or pathological state of parent cells. Recent research, including findings presented at the 2024 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) meeting, highlights significant advances in using EVs for early detection and prognosis in some solid tumors. While applications hold great potential, challenges remain, including the need for advanced technologies for efficient EV separation and purification, characterizing heterogeneity, detecting single EV markers, and overcoming small sample sizes. Addressing these issues will require increased technical investment, collaborative efforts, and large-scale clinical trials. These steps are essential to overcome the current limitations and to promote the application and development of EV-based approaches in cancer diagnosis and treatment.