Unveiling the role of exosomes as cellular messengers in neurodegenerative diseases and their potential therapeutic implications

Pathol Res Pract. 2024 Aug:260:155451. doi: 10.1016/j.prp.2024.155451. Epub 2024 Jul 11.

Abstract

Exosomes are a subgroup of extracellular vesicles that function as transmitters, allowing cells to communicate more effectively with each other. However, exosomes may have both beneficial and harmful impacts on central nervous system disorders. Hence, the fundamental molecular mechanisms of the origin of illness and its progression are currently being investigated. The involvement of exosomes in the origin and propagation of neurodegenerative illness has been demonstrated recently. Exosomes provide a representation of the intracellular environment since they include various essential bioactive chemicals. The latest studies have demonstrated that exosomes transport several proteins. Additionally, these physiological vesicles are important in the regeneration of nervous tissue and the healing of neuronal lesions. They also offer a microenvironment to stimulate the conformational variation of concerning proteins for aggregation, resulting in neurodegenerative diseases. The biosynthesis, composition, and significance of exosomes as extracellular biomarkers in neurodegenerative disorders are discussed in this article, with a particular emphasis on their neuroprotective effects.

Keywords: Biomarkers; Exosomal therapeutics; Exosomes; Neurodegenerative diseases; Neuroprotective effects.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biomarkers / metabolism
  • Cell Communication / physiology
  • Exosomes* / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Neurodegenerative Diseases* / metabolism
  • Neurodegenerative Diseases* / pathology

Substances

  • Biomarkers