Exosome Liquid Biopsy for Earliest Pancreatic Cancer Detection

An interview with:

Ajay Goel PhD, Chair of the Molecular Diagnostics and Experimental Therapeutics Department, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Los Angeles California.

SAN DIEGO—The prospect of detecting pancreatic cancer at very early stages, when cure may be possible, is now being held out by research showing that the sub-cellular molecules called “exosomes” (shed into the bloodstream by cancer cells) can be analyzed to get very early diagnosis of the disease.

Study results using liquid biopsy to test for exosomes were reported at the 2024 American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting in San Diego. After his talk at the conference the senior author of the research, Ajay Goel, who is Chair Molecular Diagnostics and Experimental Therapeutics at the Beckman Research Institute, in City of Hope, Los Angeles, called in to Audio Journal of Oncology studio to tell us more about this exciting new science and its clinical implications:

Sarah Maxwell, Audio Journal of Oncology:

“A new non-invasive test, for pancreatic cancer, from liquid biopsy, could soon make it possible to detect the disease at stages when early intervention could greatly extend life, and even make cure possible. The tests checks for the presence of “exosomes” — circulating fragments of cancer cells — that can give early warning of a developing tumor.

At the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting in San Diego, The Audio Journal of Oncology heard from Ajay Goel, senior author of the study who is Chair of the Molecular Diagnostics and Experimental Therapeutics Department at City of Hope in Los Angeles CA.

Ajay Goel PhD, Chair of the Molecular Diagnostics and Experimental Therapeutics Department, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Los Angeles California:

IN: “Exosomes are essentially small extra-cellular vesicles released by the cancer cells………OUT: ……here in San Diego at the American Association for Cancer Research.” 13:09 secs.

AACR Abstract TITLE:

“An exosome-based liquid biopsy for non-invasive, early detection of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: A multicenter and prospective study”