Extracellular RNAs: A new awareness of old perspectives

Abstract

Extracellular RNA (exRNA) has recently expanded as a highly important area of study in biomarker discovery and cancer therapeutics. exRNA consists of diverse RNA subpopulations that are normally protected from degradation by incorporation into membranous vesicles or by lipid/protein association. They are found circulating in biofluids, and have proven highly promising for minimally invasive diagnostic and prognostic purposes, particularly in oncology. Recent work has made progress in our understanding of exRNAs—from their biogenesis, compartmentalization, and vesicle packaging to their various applications as biomarkers and therapeutics, as well as the new challenges that arise in isolation and purification for accurate and reproducible analysis. Here we review the most recent advancements in exRNA research.