Usefulness of exosome-encapsulated microRNA-451a as a minimally invasive biomarker for prediction of recurrence and prognosis in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) encapsulated in the exosomes of plasma is of interest as stable and minimally invasive biomarkers for recurrence and prognosis in cancer patients. The aim of this study was to clarify the predictive and prognostic value of plasma exosomal microRNA-451a (miR-451a) in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).

Methods: Microarray-based expression profiling of miRNAs derived from exosomes in the plasma of six PDAC patients with UICC stage II was employed to identify a biomarker to distinguish between patients with and without recurrence.