Exosomal tRNA-derived small RNA as a promising biomarker for cancer diagnosis

tRNA-derived small RNA (tsRNA) is a novel regulatory small non-coding RNA and participates in diverse physiological and pathological processes. However, the presence of tsRNAs in exosome and their diagnostic potential remain unclear. In this study, we took advantage of small RNA-seq technology to profile exosomal tsRNAs from cell culture medium and plasma, and found ubiquitous presence of tsRNAs in exosome. To explore the potential value of tsRNA for cancer diagnosis, we compared exosomal tsRNA levels between liver cancer patients and healthy donors, revealing that tsRNAs were dramatically increased in plasma exosomes of liver cancer patients. Importantly, patients with liver cancer exhibited significantly higher levels of four tsRNAs (tRNA-ValTAC-3, tRNA-GlyTCC-5, tRNA-ValAAC-5 and tRNA-GluCTC-5) in plasma exosome, demonstrating that plasma exosomal tsRNA could serve as a novel diagnostic biomarker. Taken together, our results not only expand non-coding RNA species in exosome, but also highlight the potential of tsRNAs as a promising biomarker for cancer diagnosis. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1186/s12943-019-1000-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.