The http://en.vhir.org/web_vhir/portal1/grup-equip.asp?s=recerca&contentid=186717 Biomedical Research Group in Gynecology of the Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), with the Dr. Eva Colàs as principal investigator, in collaboration with the Biomedical Research Institute of Lleida, the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute, with Dr. Xavier Matias-Guiu at the helm, and the Center for Genomic Regulation, the CIC bioGUNE, and CIBERONC, have performed three studies to deepen the diagnostic and prognostic potential of the determination of miRNAs present in extracellular vesicles (EVs) as biomarkers in three types of cancer: colorectal, lung and endometrial.MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, non-coding RNA fragments that bind to messenger RNA (mRNA), degrading this mRNA and thereby preventing expression of some proteins. MiRNAs are synthesized within the cell and may play their role either in the cell itself or in another cell. One of the methods for reaching other cells is their encapsulation in VEs.VEs are secreted by various cell types and have intercellular communication functions. This communication is carried out thanks to the content that VEs encapsulate, be it miRNAs, proteins, metabolites, etc. VEs can be measured in various body fluids (biofluids) and are of great interest as carriers of biomarkers. The advantage of being able to make the diagnosis or follow-up of patients by determining the miRNAs containing the VEs in proximal fluids is that they contain a large amount of relevant tumor information in a more easily accessible material. Endometrial cáncerDiagnosis of advanced endometrial cancer has a very low survival rate (16%) compared to that of early diagnosis (95%). In addition, recurrence in this type of tumor is associated with high mortality. In this case, the researchers sought to search for miRNAs in the VEs collected from the peritoneal fluid of endometrial cancer patients in order to evaluate the potential use of this fluid as a source of biomarkers.The results of this study, published in the journal Cancers, show 114 miRNAs dysregulated in cancer compared to healthy patients. And of them, eight miRNAs are of high value as biomarkers of the disease. Colorectal cáncerThe researchers studied the miRNAs present in VEs in the peritoneal lavage of patients with colorectal and ascitic fluid cancer in patients with other pathologies. Peritoneal lavage allowed the detection of 210 deregulated miRNAs. Among these, 10 biomarkers have a high sensitivity and specificity value for diagnosing colorectal cancer.The study was published in the Journal of Translational Medicine. Lung cáncerLastly, in lung cancer, the detection of biomarkers of early diagnosis is important because it is responsible for 25% of cancer-associated mortality. Detection of tumor cells in the pleural fluid is a poor prognostic factor, but the role of miRNAs detection in the pleura has not been investigated before.In the study, published in Scientific Reports, 14 dysregulated miRNAs were identified, and three of them were chosen as potential diagnostic biomarkers for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC, 80% of all cancer cases). lung). Of these three, 1-3p miRNA is less expressed, and acts as a tumor suppressor in different types of cancers. Another miRNA, miRNA-144-5p, has been shown to play an anti-tumor role in other types of cancers and could be used as a therapeutic target in the future.All three studies conclude that the role of these miRNAs in larger groups of patients needs to be studied to determine their significance, whether they are markers of poor prognosis, or whether they can be used as tools for early diagnosis.