Clinical application of pancreatic juice-derived small extracellular vesicles of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Background: Recent imaging modalities have helped inthe early detection of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), resulting inimproved survival rates for patients with early-stage PDAC. However, preoperative pathological diagnosis of early-stage PDAC remains a challenge, particularly for small PDAC that is difficult to diagnose through standardendoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle biopsy. In this context, pancreaticjuice cytology has been re-evaluated as an important tool for the preoperativediagnosis of early-stage PDAC.
Main: Pancreatic juice (PJ) comes in directcontact with PDAC lesions in the pancreatic duct and thus may contain a fewHG-PanIN/PDAC cells and specific molecules. Additionally, the PJ may containconcentrated small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) that are released from cancerlesions. sEVs are double-layered lipid-bound particles that contain cargoassociated with the cell-of-origin, including proteins, microRNA, and RNA. sEVsreleased from cancer lesions found in body fluids, such as blood, urine, andsaliva, have already been studied as potential sources of diagnostic biomarkersfor cancer. PJ-derived sEVs could serve as a “liquid biopsy” for theearly diagnosis of PDAC. However, little is known about the existence,physiological status, and function of PJ-derived sEVs and their potentialutility as biomarkers for diagnostic, surveillance, and monitoring purposes oras therapeutic targets.
Conclusion: PJ-derived sEVs represent a promisingavenue for the early diagnosis of PDAC. The utility of these particles as biomarkersfor diagnostic, surveillance, and monitoring purposes, or as therapeutictargets, warrants further research. Understanding the existence, physiologicalstatus, and function of PJ-derived sEVs is crucial to unlocking their potentialas a valuable tool for overcoming PDAC.