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Circulating exosomal MicroRNAs: New non-invasive biomarkers of non-communicable disease

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Abstract

Exosomes are vesicles, ranging of 30–150 nm in diameter, which are released by different cell types into the extracellular space. Exosomes are capable of transporting several biomolecules such as proteins, lipids, DNA, mRNA, and non-coding RNA, including microRNAs (miRs). miRs signatures have been linked to the development of non-communicable diseases and their classification into various subtypes and/or stages. Interestingly, the miRs contained in exosomes (exomiRs) are suitable candidates as non-invasive biomarkers due to their stability in body fluids and harsh conditions, as well as they are considered critical players involved in intercellular communication; so that they can be a promising diagnostic tool for several diseases. Besides, exomiRs allow discrimination between different stages of the disease and could be a valuable strategy for the early detection of several pathologies in a non-invasive approach. This review aims to describe exomiRs present in biologic fluids that can be used as a tool for the diagnosis and prognosis of non-communicable diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular, kidney, and neurodegenerative disease.

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Acknowledgements

The Posdoctoral fellowship awarded CVU (417965) by Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT), Mexico. Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT) (FOSEC-SS/IMSS/ISSSTE A3-S-43439).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unidad de Biotecnología Médica y Farmacéutica, Centro de Investigacón y Asistencia en Tecnología y Diseño del Estado de Jalisco (CIATEJ), Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico

    Jorge Armando Jiménez-Avalos

  2. Coordinación para la Innovación y Aplicación de la Ciencia y Tecnología (CIACYT), Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí, Mexico

    Juan Carlos Fernández-Macías & Ana Karen González-Palomo

  3. Departamento de Ciencias Médicas, Campus León, Universidad de Guanajuato, Guanajuato, Mexico

    Ana Karen González-Palomo

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  1. Jorge Armando Jiménez-Avalos
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  2. Juan Carlos Fernández-Macías
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  3. Ana Karen González-Palomo
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Contributions

JAJ-A: writing neurodegenerative disease section and conceptualization (lead). JCF-M: writing renal and cardiovascular disease sections, review and editing (equal). AKG-P: conceptualization (equal), writing cancer section, original draft (supporting), review and editing (lead).

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Correspondence to Ana Karen González-Palomo.

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Jiménez-Avalos, J.A., Fernández-Macías, J.C. & González-Palomo, A.K. Circulating exosomal MicroRNAs: New non-invasive biomarkers of non-communicable disease. Mol Biol Rep 48, 961–967 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-020-06050-w

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