Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the third most common cancer of the urinary system. There is a pressing need for specific biomarkers for advanced/metastatic RCC to enhance diagnostic accuracy and personalized treatment options. In addition to established biomarkers like VEGF, VEGF receptor-2 (VEGFR-2), and CA9—regulated by hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF-1α)—exosomes have emerged as a novel source of non-invasive tumour biomarkers. They play a crucial role in facilitating intercellular communication. Exosomes transport a diverse range of cargo, including proteins, messenger RNAs (mRNAs), microRNAs (miRNAs), and signalling molecules.
Research on exosomes remains largely confined to preclinical studies and early-stage clinical trials, with significant challenges in translating experimental findings into clinical applications. To facilitate the clinical use of exosomes, further comprehensive studies, integrated with clinical trials, are essential. Future research should involve larger sample sizes, diverse tissue types, and prospective study designs to generate more compelling evidence and robust medical data for clinical translation. Research on exosomes in the context of RCC has been relatively limited, with no identified molecules consistently validated across multiple studies. This underscores the need for more prospective clinical trials to establish reproducible biomarkers. An increasing number of studies are anticipated to focus on the use of tumor-derived exosomes in liquid biopsies and treatment strategies for RCC. Finally, further investigations are needed to develop exosome-mediated tumor vaccines and to deepen our understanding of the role of exosomes in drug resistance mechanisms in targeted therapies for RCC. Overall, further research is needed to fully understand the precise role of tumor-derived exosomes in RCC diagnosis, drug resistance, and metastasis.
This Research Topic serves as a comprehensive resource for researchers and clinicians interested in the emerging role of exosomes as prognostic and predictive biomarkers in advanced/metastatic RCC. We anticipate that this collection of research articles will shed light on the biological roles and translational relevance of tumor-derived exosomes in various aspects of RCC, including premetastatic niche (PMN) formation, tumor angiogenesis, epithelial–mesenchymal transition during RCC metastasis, and the role of exosomes in mediating drug resistance in RCC patients through the delivery of miRNAs, lncRNAs, and protein molecules. Given the rapid advancements in exosome research and nanotechnologies for their optimization in cellular interrogation, biomarker discovery, and therapeutic delivery, this Research Topic may contribute to accelerating progress in harnessing their enormous potential to address both the immediate and long-term needs in the field of RCC.
Please note that manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics or computational analysis of public genomic or transcriptomic databases which are not accompanied by robust and relevant validation (clinical cohort or biological validation in vitro or in vivo) are out of scope for this Research Topic.
Keywords:
Renal Cell Cancer, Exosomes, Tumor Microenvironment, mRNA, miRNA, Biomarker, Drug Resistance
Important Note:
All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the third most common cancer of the urinary system. There is a pressing need for specific biomarkers for advanced/metastatic RCC to enhance diagnostic accuracy and personalized treatment options. In addition to established biomarkers like VEGF, VEGF receptor-2 (VEGFR-2), and CA9—regulated by hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF-1α)—exosomes have emerged as a novel source of non-invasive tumour biomarkers. They play a crucial role in facilitating intercellular communication. Exosomes transport a diverse range of cargo, including proteins, messenger RNAs (mRNAs), microRNAs (miRNAs), and signalling molecules.
Research on exosomes remains largely confined to preclinical studies and early-stage clinical trials, with significant challenges in translating experimental findings into clinical applications. To facilitate the clinical use of exosomes, further comprehensive studies, integrated with clinical trials, are essential. Future research should involve larger sample sizes, diverse tissue types, and prospective study designs to generate more compelling evidence and robust medical data for clinical translation. Research on exosomes in the context of RCC has been relatively limited, with no identified molecules consistently validated across multiple studies. This underscores the need for more prospective clinical trials to establish reproducible biomarkers. An increasing number of studies are anticipated to focus on the use of tumor-derived exosomes in liquid biopsies and treatment strategies for RCC. Finally, further investigations are needed to develop exosome-mediated tumor vaccines and to deepen our understanding of the role of exosomes in drug resistance mechanisms in targeted therapies for RCC. Overall, further research is needed to fully understand the precise role of tumor-derived exosomes in RCC diagnosis, drug resistance, and metastasis.
This Research Topic serves as a comprehensive resource for researchers and clinicians interested in the emerging role of exosomes as prognostic and predictive biomarkers in advanced/metastatic RCC. We anticipate that this collection of research articles will shed light on the biological roles and translational relevance of tumor-derived exosomes in various aspects of RCC, including premetastatic niche (PMN) formation, tumor angiogenesis, epithelial–mesenchymal transition during RCC metastasis, and the role of exosomes in mediating drug resistance in RCC patients through the delivery of miRNAs, lncRNAs, and protein molecules. Given the rapid advancements in exosome research and nanotechnologies for their optimization in cellular interrogation, biomarker discovery, and therapeutic delivery, this Research Topic may contribute to accelerating progress in harnessing their enormous potential to address both the immediate and long-term needs in the field of RCC.
Please note that manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics or computational analysis of public genomic or transcriptomic databases which are not accompanied by robust and relevant validation (clinical cohort or biological validation in vitro or in vivo) are out of scope for this Research Topic.
Keywords:
Renal Cell Cancer, Exosomes, Tumor Microenvironment, mRNA, miRNA, Biomarker, Drug Resistance
Important Note:
All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.