Scientists at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in the United States have detected some novel RNAs in the blood of prostate cancer patients, which are encapsulated in nanoparticles called "extracellular vesicles". When cancer is present, these molecules undergo changes, indicating that they may become biomarkers or therapeutic targets for detecting prostate cancer. The relevant paper was published online in the latest issue of the Journal of Extracellular Vesicles. The research team named these RNA molecules "EV-UGR" (extracellular vesicle associated unannotated genomic region). The unannotated genomic region (UGR) is commonly referred to as the "dark matter" of the human genome and is crucial for controlling gene switching and how genetic instructions are converted into proteins. Extracellular vesicles and exosomes are tiny nanoparticles, only one thousandth the width of a human hair, secreted by cells into biological fluids such as blood and urine. The research team found that extracellular vesicles carry small fragments of previously unrecognized RNA dark matter. To identify these novel RNAs, the research team used next-generation small RNA sequencing technology to rapidly analyze human tissue and liquid samples. They also developed a cost-effective liquid biopsy method and created tools for separating small extracellular vesicles from blood and urine. The results showed that blood EV-UGR changes in the presence of cancer. This suggests that doctors may diagnose prostate cancer through simple non-invasive liquid testing. (New Society)