Exosome biosensors for detection of liver cancer

Liver cancer is a significant global health concern due to its poor prognosis, often resulting from late-stage diagnosis and limited treatment options. While non-invasive methods such as ultrasound, blood tests (like AFP and PIVKA-II), CT scans, and MRIs are commonly employed in liver cancer diagnosis, they can occasionally be limited in sensitivity or associated with high costs. This has heightened the demand for innovative, noninvasive biomarkers that enable early and accurate diagnosis, leading to increased interest in the potential of exosomes. Exosomes are small vesicles released by cells and have the potential to serve as biomarkers for liver cancer. They contain a variety of biomolecules, including nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids, which can offer important information about cell health and disease progression. Developing fast, accurate, sensitive, and reliable techniques for detecting exosomes is essential. Biosensors, analytical tools for biological samples, have emerged as powerful instruments for analyzing exosomes. This review focuses on recent advancements in biosensor technology for exosome detection and explores future perspectives. The goal is to promote the development of innovative biosensor-based methods for detecting exosomes to enable earlier diagnosis and better clinical management of liver cancer.