Background:

The screening and diagnosis of prostate cancer (PCa) would be significantly improved by identifying biomarkers that are not only highly specific and sensitive but also surveyed easily from the blood or urine. Exosomes are endosome-derived vesicles between 40-100 nm in diameter that are secreted by many cell types including prostate epithelial cells in both normal and neoplastic states. The quantity and molecular composition of exosomes shed from cancer cells differs considerably from those shed by normal cells. This study explored whether plasma-derived exosomes can be utilized as a robust blood-based biosignature for PCa and other disease states.