Extracellular Vesicles in the Brain

A special issue of Brain Sciences (ISSN 2076-3425). This special issue belongs to the section "Systems Neuroscience".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 March 2024) | Viewed by 2349

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, 71121 Foggia, Italy
Interests: extracellular vesicle; microglia; bioactive foods; neuroprotection; neurodegenera-tive diseases; ageing; anti-inflammatory molecules; curcumin; resveratrol; vita-mins
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have recently come to the forefront of neuroscience as novel vehicles for the transmission of complex signals between neuronal cells. EVs are membrane-bound carriers packed with proteins, metabolites, and nucleic acids (including DNA, mRNA, and microRNAs) that contain the elements present in the cell they originate from. Since their discovery, EVs have been studied extensively and have opened up new understandings of communication. They may cross the blood–brain barrier (BBB) in a bidirectional way from the bloodstream and brain parenchyma and vice versa, as well as playing a key role in brain–periphery communication in both physiology and pathology. EVs are heterogeneous vesicle membranes that, based on their biogenesis, can be divided into three categories—exosomes, microvesicles, and apoptotic bodies—and are secreted by all cells under both physiological and pathological conditions. EVs can be found in many body fluids and enclose membrane and cytosolic components, such as proteins, lipids, and many RNAs, including microRNAs and other non-coding RNA species with regulatory properties. EVs represent the fingerprints of their originating cells and can carry a variety of molecular constituents of their cell of origin, including microRNAs or bioactive compounds. This Special Issue focuses on recent findings pertaining to EV biogenesis, characterization of EV cargo, and the role of EVs in the brain, both in healthy and diseased brains.

We invite researchers to contribute either original research or review articles focusing on every aspect regarding the role and function of EVs shed in brain cells both in healthy and pathological conditions.

This collection welcomes original research, review, mini review, and perspectives focusing on extracellular vesicles in the brain both in healthy and diseased brains. Areas of interest could include but are not limited to:

  • Extracellular vesicles released by brain cells (neurons, microglia, astrocytes, etc.);
  • miRNA cargo of extracellular vesicles;
  • Bioactive compound cargo of extracellular vesicles;
  • Extracellular vesicles as biomarkers in neurodegenerative diseases;
  • Role of extracellular vesicles in neurodegenerative diseases;
  • Role of extracellular vesicles in the central nervous system;
  • Extracellular vesicles and the blood–brain barrier.

Prof. Dr. Chiara Porro
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • extracellular vesicles
  • exosomes
  • microvesicles
  • biomarkers
  • neurodegenerative diseases
  • miRNA
  • microglia

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

16 pages, 1639 KiB  
Review
Exosomal miRNAs as Biomarkers of Ischemic Stroke
by Anna Maria Ciaccio and Antonino Tuttolomondo
Brain Sci. 2023, 13(12), 1647; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13121647 - 27 Nov 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1791
Abstract
Exosomes are small lipid bilayer membrane particles released from all living cells into the extracellular environment. They carry several molecules and have a critical role in cell–cell communication under physiological and pathological conditions. In recent decades, exosomes, and especially their cargo, have emerged [...] Read more.
Exosomes are small lipid bilayer membrane particles released from all living cells into the extracellular environment. They carry several molecules and have a critical role in cell–cell communication under physiological and pathological conditions. In recent decades, exosomes, and especially their cargo, have emerged as a promising tool for several clinical conditions. However, the literature has become increasingly unambiguous in defining the role of exosomes in chronic cerebrovascular diseases. Because they can pass through the blood–brain barrier, they have great potential to reflect intracerebral changes. They can, thus, provide valuable insight into the mechanisms of central nervous system diseases. The purpose of this review is to describe the literature on the role of exosomal miRNA, which represents the most widely investigated exosomal biomarker, in strokes. First, we provide an overview of exosomes, from biology to isolation and characterization. Then, we describe the relationship between exosomes and stroke pathogenesis. Finally, we summarize the human studies evaluating exosomal miRNA biomarkers of stroke. Although the collective literature supports the potential use of exosomal miRNA as biomarkers of ischemic stroke, there are still several limitations hampering their introduction into clinical practice. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Extracellular Vesicles in the Brain)
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