The Predictive Value of Blood-Derived Exosomal miRNAs as Biomarkers in Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Breast cancer (BC) remains a widespread disease worldwide, despite advances in its detection and treatment. microRNAs (miRNAs) play a significant role in cancer, and their presence within exosomes may confer several advantages in terms of tumor initiation, propagation, immune evasion, and drug resistance compared to freely circulating miRNAs in the blood. The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review to analyze the role of exosomal miRNAs present in serum or plasma as biomarkers in BC. Bibliographic sources were collected from various databases with no starting date limit until March 2023. The search terms used were related to “breast cancer,” “microRNAs,” and “exosomes.” Following the search, inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied, resulting in a total of 46 articles. Data were extracted from the selected studies and summarized to indicate the miRNAs, type of dysregulation, sample source, number of patients and controls, and clinical relevance of the miRNAs. We carried out an enrichment study of the microRNAs that appeared in at least 3 studies, those that were suitable for selection were miR-16, miR-21 and miR-155. Exosomal miRNAs isolated from blood samples of patients diagnosed with BC could be valuable in the clinical setting. They could provide information about early diagnosis, disease progression, recurrence, treatment response, and metastases. It is crucial to reach a consensus on the specific exosomal miRNAs to detect and the most appropriate type of sample for comprehensive utilization of miRNAs as biomarkers for BC.