We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us

Download Mobile App




Semen Exosome MicroRNA Proves Biomarker for Prostate Cancer

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 07 Oct 2019
Researchers have shown that microRNAs present in semen exosomes can serve as biomarkers for the non-invasive diagnosis of prostate cancer.

Exosomes are a type of extracellular vesicle (EV), a class that also includes microvesicles and apoptotic bodies. More...
EVs are cell-derived lipid-bilayer-enclosed structures, with sizes ranging from 30 to 5,000 nanometers. In the past decade, EVs have emerged as important mediators of cell communication because they serve as vehicles for the intercellular transmission of biological signals (proteins or nucleic acids) capable of altering cell function and physiology.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) and short interfering RNAs (siRNA) comprise a class of about 20 nucleotides-long RNA fragments that block gene expression by attaching to molecules of messenger RNA in a fashion that prevents them from transmitting the protein synthesizing instructions they had received from the DNA. MiRNAs resemble siRNAs of the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway, except miRNAs derive from regions of RNA transcripts that fold back on themselves to form short hairpins, whereas siRNAs derive from longer regions of double-stranded RNA. With their capacity to fine-tune protein expression via sequence-specific interactions, miRNAs help regulate cell maintenance and differentiation. Furthermore, miRNAs play essential roles in tumor development, are stable under diverse analytical conditions, and can be readily detected in body fluids.

Although it is specific for prostate tissue, serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening has resulted in an over-diagnosis of prostate cancer and many unnecessary biopsies of benign disease due to a well-documented low cancer specificity. Therefore, improved diagnostic methods are required.

In this regard, investigators at the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (Barcelona, Spain) suggested that semen could be considered a liquid biopsy of the organs of male reproductive system and specifically of prostate gland, since approximately 40% of semen is derived from prostatic tissue, so that its contents are most likely to contain prostate disease-specific derived molecules.

To test this theory, the investigators profiled the expression level of miRNAs contained in semen exosomes from men with moderately increased PSA levels to assess their usefulness, either alone or in addition to PSA marker, as non-invasive biomarkers for the early efficient diagnosis and prognosis of prostate cancer.

The investigators reported that an altered miRNA expression pattern was detected by high throughput profiling analysis of prostate cancer patients when compared with healthy individuals’exosomal semen samples. The presence of vasectomy was taken into account for the interpretation of results. Fourteen miRNAs were selected for miRNA validation as prostate cancer biomarkers in a subsequent set of semen samples. The pathway analysis of predicted miRNA target genes supported a role for these miRNAs in prostate cancer diagnosis and/or progression.

"Our study shows semen exosome miRNA-based models as molecular biomarkers with the potential to improve prostate cancer diagnosis/prognosis efficiency. These miRNA-based tests should provide reliable information that will help physicians to take clinical decisions as well as will save unnecessary invasive biopsies to the patients, improving the efficiency of detection of prostate cancer and patient outcome," said senior author Dr. Sara Larriba, a principle investigator at the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute. "Our aim is to offer our results to the clinics as a diagnostic test. In that respect, as our next step, we should carry out further prospective studies on larger cohorts of patients before this miRNA-based biomarker could be adopted in the daily clinical practice."

The semen exosome study was published in the September 24, 2019, online edition of the journal Scientific Reports.

Related Links:
Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute


Gold Member
Serological Pipets
INTEGRA Serological Pipets
POC Helicobacter Pylori Test Kit
Hepy Urease Test
New
Capillary Blood Collection Tube
IMPROMINI M3
New
Automated Chemiluminescence Immunoassay Analyzer
MS-i3080
Read the full article by registering today, it's FREE! It's Free!
Register now for FREE to LabMedica.com and get access to news and events that shape the world of Clinical Laboratory Medicine.
  • Free digital version edition of LabMedica International sent by email on regular basis
  • Free print version of LabMedica International magazine (available only outside USA and Canada).
  • Free and unlimited access to back issues of LabMedica International in digital format
  • Free LabMedica International Newsletter sent every week containing the latest news
  • Free breaking news sent via email
  • Free access to Events Calendar
  • Free access to LinkXpress new product services
  • REGISTRATION IS FREE AND EASY!
Click here to Register








Channels

Hematology

view channel
Image: New research points to protecting blood during radiation therapy (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

Pioneering Model Measures Radiation Exposure in Blood for Precise Cancer Treatments

Scientists have long focused on protecting organs near tumors during radiotherapy, but blood — a vital, circulating tissue — has largely been excluded from dose calculations. Each blood cell passing through... Read more

Immunology

view channel
Image: The test could streamline clinical decision-making by identifying ideal candidates for immunotherapy upfront (Xiao, Y. et al. Cancer Biology & Medicine July 2025, 20250038)

Blood Test Predicts Immunotherapy Efficacy in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype lacking targeted therapies, making immunotherapy a promising yet unpredictable option. Current biomarkers such as PD-L1 expression or tumor... Read more

Microbiology

view channel
Image: New diagnostics could predict a woman’s risk of a common sexually transmitted infection (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

New Markers Could Predict Risk of Severe Chlamydia Infection

Chlamydia trachomatis is a common sexually transmitted infection that can cause pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility, and other reproductive complications when it spreads to the upper genital tract.... Read more

Technology

view channel
Image: The sensor can help diagnose diabetes and prediabetes on-site in a few minutes using just a breath sample (Photo courtesy of Larry Cheng/Penn State)

Graphene-Based Sensor Uses Breath Sample to Identify Diabetes and Prediabetes in Minutes

About 37 million U.S. adults live with diabetes, and one in five is unaware of their condition. Diagnosing diabetes often requires blood draws or lab visits, which are costly and inconvenient.... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2025 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.