MiRNAs exossômicos circulantes como biomarcadores de diagnóstico e prognóstico de câncer colorretal: revisão da literatura

Abstract

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the most common malignant tumor of the gastrointestinal tract. It is a multifactorial disease that involves environmental and genetic. Due to the absence of specific and sensitive biomarkers, patients with CRC are usually diagnosed at an advanced stage and consequently suffer from a low 5-year overall survival rate. Several studies have shown that small non-coding RNAs, such as microRNAs (miRNAs) obtained from exosomes, are potential biomarkers in several types of cancer, including CRC, and that they can be detected in a stable form in both serum and plasma. Thus, the present study seeks to present an overview of the role of exosomal circulating miRNAs with the potential to act as biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of CRC based on evidence available in the literature. For this purpose, a review of the literature consulted in the electronic database published between 2015 and 2019 was developed. 28 articles were identified that described circulating exosomal miRNAs as potential biomarkers of diagnosis, prognosis and therapeutic targets of CRC. A total of 59 differentially expressed exosomal miRNAs have been suggested as good candidates for use as biomarkers of CRC. Thus, the present review aims for the use of circulating biomarkers along with current screening methods to provide a path for future use in clinical practice in patients with CRC, and consequently, contribute to the reduction of mortality due to the difficulty of early detection, the perspective of therapeutic targets, as well as improving the quality of life of patients.