The Importance of Different Types of RNA Molecules in Platelets for the Diagnosis and Monitoring of Tumor Progression

Platelets are multi-purpose cell parts circulating abundantly in the blood and can be educated by their environment. Platelets actively change their nucleic acid content in response to local and systemic pathological conditions and can play a role in cancer development and progression by supporting the growth, survival, and dissemination of tumor cells. In the current study, the importance of RNAs in platelets -as less invasive biomarkers- for early diagnosis of cancers and also for tracking tumor progression has been investigated.

Reliable scientific databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar were used to gather relevant articles for this review study.

The nucleic acid content of platelets is provided both by their generator (megakaryocyte) and mediators such as cancer cells. Different types of coding and non-coding RNA make up the nucleic acid content of platelets, and cancer cells affect platelet RNA content in tumor-educated platelets through direct and indirect pathways.

Advances in molecular technologies and subsequent deep insight into the profile of tumor-educated platelet RNAs, including the discovery of small and longer regulatory RNAs, have enabled the analysis of tumor-educated platelet RNA profiles as a new source for early cancer diagnosis.