Exosomes Offer Huge Potential for Cancer Diagnostics: Market Value to Septuple

March 16, 2016

Wellesley, Mass., March 16, 2016 – In the last decade, scientific research showed exponential growth in scientific publication on exosomes. BCC Research reveals in its new report that these tiny vesicles may offer unlimited potential in diagnostics and therapeutics, especially in oncology treatments.

Exosomes are small membrane sacs/vesicles (approximately 30-100 nm in diameter), that are released by both healthy and cancerous cells. Substances from cell cytoplasm, such as genomic DNA, various RNA species, proteins and lipids are encapsulated into exosomes and are shed into the extracellular environment. Research has showed that all fluids in the human body contain exosomes, which can transfer cytoplasmic ingredients to other cells either locally or at distant sites. Once reaching the recipient cells, cytoplasmic ingredients can alter its biology.

The market for the exosome approach can be divided into three main categories: diagnostics, therapeutics and research tools sectors.

The global market should reach about $16.1 million and more than $111 million in 2016 and 2021, respectively, reflecting a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 47.3%. Diagnostics as a segment should remain the largest and fastest-growing sector, growing from $10 million in 2016 to $100 million in 2021, demonstrating a five-year CAGR of 58.5%. Therapeutics as a segment should demonstrate a five-year CAGR of 14.9%, reaching $10 million in 2021, while research tools as the third segment should demonstrate a five-year CAGR of 10.4% to reach $1.8 million in the end year.

Scientists believe that various biomolecules in exosomes can be profiled and, consequently, may serve as useful biomarkers for different diseases. Nucleic acids such as RNA or DNA can be isolated from exosomes and further analyzed by various techniques. Because exosomes can be isolated from bodily fluids by ultracentrifugation and filtration, as well as by other approaches, they offer a very attractive alternative to invasive biopsy for the diagnosis and monitoring of cancer.

The exosomes approach represents the opportunity to expand and develop new diagnostics tools in segments like the liquid biopsy market, a growing sector in cancer diagnostics. Moreover, exosome research offers new alternatives for therapeutics development in general, especially in the sector of drug delivery platforms. For example, there is a significant potential for using exosome depletion as a way of treating disease.

“Cancer-generated exosomes can inhibit the immune response and stimulate angiogenesis (the physiological process through which new blood vessels form from pre-existing vessels),” says BCC Research analyst Marianna Tcherpakov. “Consequently, if these exosomes are removed, tumor growth might be inhibited and anti-cancer agents can work more efficiently. In addition, there is a potential for exosomes to be used as targeted delivery vehicles of therapeutic molecules to cancer cells, for example, delivering small interfering RNA specific for a particular oncogene expressed in a tumor cell. “

Exosome Diagnostics and Therapeutics: Global Markets (BIO149A) analyzes the technologies for exosome diagnostics and therapeutics with breakdowns of new and existing diagnostic methods.

Analyses of global market drivers and trends, with data from 2015, estimates for 2016, and projections of CAGRs through 2021 also are provided.

Editors and reporters who wish to speak with the analyst should contact Steven Cumming at steven.cumming@bccresearch.com.

Exosome Diagnostics and Therapeutics: Global Markets( BIO149A )
Publish Date: Mar 2016    

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