Tumor-Derived Extracellular Vesicles as a Novel Source of Protein Biomarkers for Cancer Diagnosis and Monitoring

“Liquid biopsies” have received attention as a complementary tool for traditional tissue biopsies that may enhance the spectrum of analysis for tumor-derived factors. One such factor gaining prominence in the liquid biopsy field is extracellular vesicles (EVs), membrane-bound nanovesicles which are secreted by cells into biofluids such as blood, urine, and saliva. EVs are released in both physiological and pathological conditions and can transport a variety of molecules, including proteins, metabolites, RNA, microRNAs, and DNA, to distant sites throughout the body. As such, they are emerging as a promising source of tumor biomarkers for the noninvasive diagnosis, prognosis, and monitoring of cancer patients. In particular, the wealth of tumor-related information that can be gleaned from the EV proteomic cargo has become apparent through mass spectrometric analysis, which has provided new benchmarks for clinically focused biomarker research. In this review, the current achievements in the use of MS for identifying potential EV-derived protein biomarkers of cancer are explored, and the techniques and challenges involved in this pursuit are summarized.