Extracellular vesicles: A new paradigm in understanding, diagnosing and treating neurodegenerative disease

Abstract

Neurodegenerative disorders (NDs) are becoming one of the leading causes of disability and death across the globe due to lack of timely preventions and treatments. Concurrently, intensive research efforts are being carried out to understand the etiology of these age-dependent disorders. Extracellular vesicles (EVs)—biological nanoparticles released by cells—are gaining tremendous attention in understanding their role in pathogenesis and progression of NDs. EVs have been found to transmit pathogenic proteins of NDs between neurons. Moreover, the ability of EVs to exquisitely surmount natural biological barriers, including blood-brain barrier and in vivo safety has generated interest in exploring them as potential biomarkers and function as natural delivery vehicles of drugs to the central nervous system. However, limited knowledge of EV biogenesis, their heterogeneity and lack of adequate isolation and analysis tools have hampered their therapeutic potential. In this review, we cover the recent advances in understanding the role of EVs in neurodegeneration and address their role as biomarkers and delivery vehicles to the brain.

Evaluation of α‐synuclein in CNS‐originating extracellular vesicles for Parkinsonian disorders: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

“…Two independent researchers (HBT and SSA) screened all the titles, abstracts, and full manuscripts to select articles that met the eligibility criteria. By hand, we reviewed the reference lists of eligible studies, searched Google scholar for articles measuring α‐syn in CNS‐originating EVs and detailed reviews of the literature for inclusion of eligible studies 29‐35 . Any discrepancies in article selection were resolved through discussion.…”

“…By hand, we reviewed the reference lists of eligible studies, searched Google scholar for articles measuring α-syn in CNSoriginating EVs and detailed reviews of the literature for inclusion of eligible studies. [29][30][31][32][33][34][35] Any discrepancies in article selection were resolved through discussion. The complete search strategy can be found in Table S1.…”

Evaluation of α-Synuclein in CNS-originating Extracellular Vesicles for Parkinsonian Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

“…Two independent researchers (HBT and SSA) screened all the titles, abstracts, and full manuscripts to select articles that met the eligibility criteria. By hand, we reviewed the reference lists of eligible studies, screened Google scholar and detailed reviews of the literature for inclusion of eligible studies (9,13,17,20,31,51,52,54). Any discrepancies in article selection were resolved through discussion.…”

Extracellular Vesicles in Young Serum Contribute to the Restoration of Age-Related Brain Transcriptomes and Cognition in Old Mice

“…The conventional wisdom is that a better understanding of the myriad roles of extracellular vesicles (EVs) in CNS homeostasis is essential for developing novel therapeutics to alleviate and reverse the neurological disturbances of aging [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]. Thus far, an increasing number of studies have revealed the complexities of EV-mediated cell–cell communications in the brain, predominantly emphasizing the role of EV released by brain cells under physiological conditions.…”