Developing blood extracellular vesicle protein biomarkers for hepatocellular carcinoma: mechanisms, methods, and translation
Blood tests measuring specific proteins could one day catch liver cancer earlier, before symptoms appear, though standardized methods still need development.
This review integrates mechanistic insights into extracellular vesicle proteins in HCC pathogenesis with state-of-the-art proteomics and high-throughput detection platforms, charting a path toward non-invasive liquid biopsy for early HCC diagnosis. Critical challenges including lack of standardized workflows and limited multicenter validation are highlighted alongside strategies to address them.
What the study was
- Study design
- Narrative/systematic review
- Population
- Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma
- Category
- Early Detection
- Maturity
- Exploratory
- Journal
- Journal of Nanobiotechnology
Why it surfaced
HCC remains a leading cause of cancer mortality with poor early detection; EV proteomics for non-invasive liquid biopsy is a rapidly advancing field; this review provides a comprehensive synthesis useful for pipeline context.
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