AccScience Publishing / GPD / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/GPD025070013
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PERSPECTIVE ARTICLE

The role of exosomes in the diagnosis of hematological cancers

Pier Paolo Piccaluga1,2* ,  Pietro Cimatti2,3 ,  Valeriia Tsekhovska1,2
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1 Biobank of Research, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliera-Universitaria di Bologna Policlinico di S. Orsola, Bologna, Italy
2 Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
3 Reconstructive Orthopaedic Surgery Innovative Techniques-Musculoskeletal Tissue Bank, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Bologna, Italy
GPD, 025070013 https://doi.org/10.36922/GPD025070013
Received: 13 February 2025 | Revised: 6 June 2025 | Accepted: 19 June 2025 | Published online: 12 November 2025
© 2025 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
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Abstract

Exosomes, nanoscale extracellular vesicles secreted by various cell types, have emerged as pivotal players in the diagnosis and monitoring of hematological cancers, including lymphomas, leukemia’s, and multiple myeloma. These vesicles encapsulate a diverse array of biomolecules, reflecting the physiological and pathological states of their origin cells, thus providing valuable insights into tumor biology. This article discusses the unique molecular signatures carried by exosomes, particularly focusing on microRNAs and proteins that serve as biomarkers for early detection, disease progression, and treatment response. The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into exosomal research is highlighted as a transformative approach for identifying novel biomarkers, enhancing the precision of diagnostic assays, and facilitating personalized treatment strategies. Despite the promising potential of exosome-based diagnostics, challenges such as the standardization of isolation techniques and ethical considerations surrounding AI implementation remain. Future research directions should aim to overcome these obstacles, with an emphasis on improving exosome characterization methods and exploring novel biomarkers, ultimately enhancing patient outcomes through tailored therapeutic approaches.

Graphical abstract
Keywords
Hematology
Artificial intelligence
Malignancy
Diagnostics
miRNA
Leukemia
Lymphoma
Exosome
Funding
This work was supported by the Italian Ministry of Health (RC-2024-2790173) and the Research Projects of National Relevance (PRIN; 2022NXK38S).
Conflict of interest
Pier Paolo Piccaluga is an Associate Editor of this journal, but was not in any way involved in the editorial and peer-review process conducted for this paper, directly or indirectly. Separately, other authors declared that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have influenced the work reported in this paper.
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