Deciphering the Functional Status of Breast Cancers through the Analysis of Their Extracellular Vesicles

Sep 24, 2026

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Breast cancer (BC) is the leading cause of tumor-related mortality among women worldwide, driving demand for molecular tools that enable earlier diagnosis and effective follow-up during treatment. Circulating extracellular vesicles (EVs), produced by all human cells including tumor cells, are collected through minimally invasive methods and act as reservoirs of cell-communication signals. This work analyzes BC-derived EV cargoes—proteins and nucleic acids—to compile candidate markers categorized into four functional groups, then evaluates their vesicular biomarker specificity and sensitivity. It also reviews clinical implementation potential and technical barriers to EV-based testing.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages33

Reading Time1 h 23 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Breast cancer burden and need for tools

Extracellular vesicles in cell communication

EV proteins as cancer biomarkers

Review Deciphering the Functional Status of Breast Cancers through the Analysis of Their Extracellular Vesicles Alexis Germ¡n Murillo Carrasco 1,2, Andreia Hanada Otake 1,2, Janaina Macedo-da-Silva 3, Veronica Feijoli Santiago 3, Giuseppe Palmisano 3,4, Luciana Nogueira de Sousa Andrade 1,2 and Roger Chammas 1,2, * Citation: Murillo Carrasco, A.G.; Otake, A.H.; Macedo-da-Silva, J.; Feijoli Santiago, V.; Palmisano, G.; Andrade, L.N.d.S.; Chammas, R. Deciphering the Functional Status of Breast Cancers through the Analysis of Their Extracellular Vesicles. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24, 13022. [https://](https://)[ ](https://)[doi.org/10.3390/ijms241613022](doi.org/10.3390/ijms241613022) Academic Editor: Chiara Laezza Received: 30 June 2023 Revised: 10 August 2023 Accepted: 18 August 2023 Published: 21 August 2023 Copyright: © 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license ([https://](https://)[ ](https://)[creativecommons.org/licenses/by/](creativecommons.org/licenses/by/)[ ](creativecommons.org/licenses/by/)[4.0/](4.0/)) . 1 Center for Translational Research in Oncology (LIM24), Instituto do Cancer do Estado de Sao Paulo (ICESP), Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Sao Paulo (HCFMUSP), S¢o Paulo 01246-000, Brazil; [agmurilloc@usp.br](agmurilloc@usp.br) (A.G.M.C.); [andreia.otake@hc.fm.usp.br](andreia.otake@hc.fm.usp.br) (A.H.O.); [lnsa@usp.br](lnsa@usp.br) (L.N.d.S.A.) 2 Comprehensive Center for Precision Oncology, Universidade de S¢o Paulo, S¢o Paulo 01246-000, Brazil 3 Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ci¶ncias Biom²dicas, Universidade de S¢o Paulo, S¢o Paulo 05508-000, Brazil; [janaina.macedo.silva@usp.br](janaina.macedo.silva@usp.br) (J.M.-d.-S.); [veronicafeijoli@gmail.com](veronicafeijoli@gmail.com) (V.F.S.); [palmisano.gp@usp.br](palmisano.gp@usp.br) (G.P.) 4 School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, NSW 2109, Australia * Correspondence: [rchammas@usp.br](rchammas@usp.br) Abstract: Breast cancer (BC) accounts for the highest incidence of tumor-related mortality among women worldwide, justifying the growing search for molecular tools for the early diagnosis and follow-up of BC patients under treatment. Circulating extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membranous nanocompartments produced by all human cells, including tumor cells. Since minimally invasive methods collect EVs, which represent reservoirs of signals for cell communication, these particles have attracted the interest of many researchers aiming to improve BC screening and treatment. Here, we analyzed the cargoes of BC-derived EVs, both proteins and nucleic acids, which yielded a comprehensive list of potential markers divided into four distinct categories, namely,(i) modulation of aggressiveness and growth; (ii) preparation of the pre-metastatic niche; (iii) epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition; and (iv) drug resistance phenotype, further classiﬁed according to their speciﬁcity and sensitivity as vesicular BC biomarkers. We discuss the therapeutic potential of and barriers to the clinical implementation of EV-based tests, including the heterogeneity of EVs and the available technologies for analyzing their content, to present a consistent, reproducible, and affordable set of markers for further evaluation. Keywords: extracellular vesicles; breast cancer; omics; theranostics; nanomedicine 1. Introduction Breast cancer (BC) is currently the most commonly diagnosed type of cancer in the world. In 2020, this disease accounted for 25.5% of new cases among women, and it was responsible for 15.5% of the cases of death via cancer among women [1] . Due to these rates, it is important to continue searching for screening and therapeutic options. Cancer is a disease produced by speciﬁc tissue cells with uncontrolled growth. Tumor cells use cel

FAQs

Why are extracellular vesicles (EVs) relevant for breast cancer research and patient management?

EVs are membrane-bound particles produced by all human cells, including tumor cells. Minimally invasive collection allows EV cargoes to reflect cell communication signals useful for screening and treatment follow-up.

What types of markers are identified from breast-cancer-derived EV cargoes?

The study analyzes EV cargoes containing proteins and nucleic acids. It produces a comprehensive list of potential markers separated into four functional categories.

What factors can hinder clinical implementation of EV-based diagnostic tests?

Clinical translation faces challenges related to EV heterogeneity and the available technologies used to analyze EV content, affecting consistency and reproducibility. The paper discusses these barriers alongside the therapeutic potential.

Sep 24, 2026

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