Salivary exosomal microRNA profile as biomonitoring tool for diagnosis and prognosis of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: a systematic review

• Published in: Archives of oral biology Vol. 165; p. 106012
• Main Authors: Sanesi, Lorenzo, Mori, Giorgio, Troiano, Giuseppe, Ballini, Andrea, Valzano, Felice, Dioguardi, Mario, Muzio, Lorenzo Lo, Magalhaes, Marco, Caponio, Vito Carlo Alberto
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2024
• Subjects: Biomarkers; Biomarkers, Tumor; Diagnosis; Exosomes - metabolism; Head and Neck Neoplasms; Head and Neck Neoplasms - diagnosis; Head and Neck Neoplasms - genetics; Head and Neck Neoplasms - metabolism; Humans; MicroRNAs; Mouth Neoplasms; Prognosis; Saliva - chemistry; Saliva - metabolism; Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck - genetics; Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck - metabolism; Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck - pathology; Mouth Neoplasms; Biomarkers; Prognosis; Diagnosis; MicroRNAs; Head and Neck Neoplasms
• ISSN: 0003-9969; 1879-1506; 1879-1506
• DOI: 10.1016/j.archoralbio.2024.106012

Exosomes are extracellular vesicles found in saliva and other body fluids. These vesicles range in size from 30 to 150 nm and play a crucial role in intercellular communication, transporting different biomolecules, actively targeting cells. These vesicles regulate both physiological and pathological processes within recipient cells. MicroRNAs (miRs) are transported within exosomes and are delivered to target cells where they influence signaling pathways, taking on a crucial regulatory role in oncogenesis; for example, they are implicated in progression and infiltration of various cancers, such as head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). A systematic literature search based on specific keywords, according to the PRISMA guidelines, was carried out on PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Only original articles were selected during this review. The risk of bias was assessed by QUADAS-2. At the end of the selection process 9 articles were included. In these studies, 41 miRs showed differential expression between healthy subjects and patient with HNSCC. The techniques varied among studies for the extraction and analysis of exosomal miRs. We presented also salivary exosomal miRs pathways, to give insights about pathogenetic mechanisms. Exosomal microRNA are promising biomarkers for HNSCC detection. MiR-10b-5p, miR-486–5p, miR-24–3p, miR-412–3p, and miR-512–3p are the most promising markers applicable to diagnostics, while miR-1307–5p and miR-519c–3p resulted overexpressed and correlated to worse survival outcomes. •Salivary exosomal miRNAs are significant clinical promise in early diagnosis of HNSCC.•Salivary exosomal miRNAs are significant clinical promise in prognosis of HNSCC.•Salivary exosomal miRNAs as indicators of the tumor's stage.•Salivary exosomal miRNAs pathways in HNSCC.