Omote cell migration and invasion in lung cancer cells. Curiously, having said that, F-circEA-2a was present in the tumor but not in the plasma of NSCLC individuals (n = three) together with the EML4-ALK fusion gene [151]. 3.2.4. Platelets As noted above, platelets act as cellular Org37684 Purity sponges collecting tumor-derived macromolecules and may be helpful in the prediction and monitoring of therapy response. EML4-ALK rearrangement was detected in platelets from 67 NSCLC individuals with a 65 sensitivity and 100 specificity [110]. Lupeol Technical Information within the exact same study, PFS was 3.7 months for patients with EML4-ALK+ platelets and 16 months for all those with EML4-ALK-negative platelets. The authors also reported higher sensitivity of detection from platelet versus plasma cfRNA. Utilizing platelet-derived RNA, Calvo et al. verified the presence of ALK rearrangement through remedy with crizotinib inside a NSCLC patient and quantified the fusion transcript by means of RT-PCR. Detection of platelet EML4-ALK permitted monitoring of therapeutic response and disease progression by sequential blood collection from this patient [152]. Comparing liquid biopsy from plasma and platelets versus FISH/RT-PCR tests performed on FFPE tumor tissues for the detection of ALK rearrangement and prediction of remedy outcome, it was discovered that liquid biopsy had higher sensitivity (78.8 vs. 54.5 ), specificity (89.3 vs. 78.6 ) and accuracy (83.6 vs. 75.5 ). In addition, platelets exhibited slightly larger sensitivity in detection and superior predictability of therapy final results when compared with plasma [109]. These final results indicate that platelets may perhaps much better reflect the molecular state of tumor tissue than plasma. Taken together, the above-mentioned research potentiate the part of TEPs as liquid biopsy biomarkers in ALK+ NSCLC; having said that, as a way to implement this strategy within the clinic, a handful of limitations nonetheless need to have to become overcome, such as standardization of TEPs detection and accessibility of this strategy in hospitals. three.2.5. Exosomes Growing proof is being reported in support from the part exosomes play in tumor biology and particularly in NSCLC. They can promote tumor growth, angiogenesis, invasion and metastasis, top to progression of NSCLC [15357]. Exosomes can also render tumor cells resistant to targeted therapies by transferring tissue components, drug-resistant molecules or multi-drug resistance proteins [158,159]. Brinkmann and colleagues reported making use of a proprietary process to isolate exosomal RNA (exoRNA) from much less than two mL of plasma from NSCLC patients. The extracted exoRNA was screened for the presence of EML4-ALK fusion transcripts working with RT-qPCR [160]. The assay was launched in 2016 within the US as a commercial diagnostic test kit (ExoDxLung(ALK)) to detect EML4-ALK fusion variants in blood samples. Precisely the same group has also reported evaluation of ALK resistance mutations from exoRNA and cfDNA in 35 longi-Cancers 2021, 13,13 oftudinal samples of 29 individuals [122]. Yet another group led by Christian Rolfo reported the identification of EML4-ALK inversion in exosomes (ExoALK) from 1 mL plasma samples utilizing next-generation sequencing: 19 NSCLC sufferers, out of which 16 had been confirmed ALK+ in tissue, have been evaluated. The authors reported 64 concordance between tissue and exosomal analysis. All three individuals that were negative in tissue have been also damaging in exosomal analysis indicating high specificity (one hundred ) of exosomal RNA for the detection of ALK rearrangement [111]. Encouraged by these final results, a clinical trial is curren.