Unveiling potential: urinary exosomal mRNAs as non-invasive biomarkers for early prostate cancer diagnosis

Abstract Background This study investigated the use of urinary exosomal mRNA as a potential biomarker for the early detection of prostate cancer (PCa). Methods Next-generation sequencing was utilized to analyze exosomal RNA from 10 individuals with confirmed PCa and 10 individuals without cancer. Subsequent validation through qRT-PCR in a larger sample of 43 PCa patients and 92 healthy controls revealed distinct mRNA signatures associated with PCa. Results Notably, mRNAs for RAB5B , WWP1 , HIST2H2BF , ZFY , MARK2 , PASK , RBM10 , and NRSN2 showed promise as diagnostic markers, with AUC values between 0.799 and 0.906 and significance p values. Combining RAB5B and WWP1 in an exoRNA diagnostic model outperformed traditional PSA tests, achieving an AUC of 0.923, 81.4% sensitivity, and 89.1% specificity. Conclusions These findings highlight the potential of urinary exosomal mRNA profiling, particularly focusing on RAB5B and WWP1 , as a valuable strategy for improving the early detection of PCa.