Systematic Review of Monocyte Transcriptomic Profiles as Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarkers in Colorectal Cancer
Immune cell patterns in blood show promise for detecting colon cancer without invasive procedures, though larger studies are needed to move this idea into clinical practice.
This PROSPERO-registered systematic review evaluates circulating monocyte transcriptomic profiles as non-invasive biomarkers in colorectal cancer, finding that CXCR2+ monocyte signatures and m6A/m5C epitranscriptomic marks can distinguish CRC patients from healthy individuals with accuracy exceeding classical biomarkers in some studies. Prognostic utility remains limited by small sample sizes and methodological heterogeneity, but the immune-cell transcriptomic approach represents a novel minimally invasive early detection strategy.
What the study was
- Study design
- Systematic review (PROSPERO-registered, PRISMA 2020; 6 studies)
- Population
- Colorectal cancer patients and healthy controls
- Category
- Early Detection
- Maturity
- Exploratory
- Journal
- International Journal of Molecular Sciences
Why it surfaced
Registered systematic review with novel circulating immune-cell transcriptomic approach for CRC early detection; systematic review design quality score elevated. Only 6 studies available and heterogeneity limits clinical applicability. Flagged as unsolicited_find from sentinel scan.
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