Exosome platform for diagnosis and monitoring of traumatic brain injury

Abstract

We have previously demonstrated the release of membranous structures by cells into their extracellular environment, which are termed exosomes, microvesicles or extracellular vesicles depending on specific characteristics, including size, composition and biogenesis pathway. With activation, injury, stress, transformation or infection, cells express proteins and RNAs associated with the cellular responses to these events. The exosomes released by these cells can exhibit an array of proteins, lipids and nucleic acids linked to these physiologic events. This review focuses on exosomes associated with traumatic brain injury, which may be both diagnostic and a causative factor in the progression of the injury. Based on current data, exosomes play essential roles as conveyers of intercellular communication and mediators of many of the pathological conditions associated with development, progression and therapeutic failures and cellular stress in a variety of pathologic conditions. These extracellular vesicles express components responsible for angiogenesis promotion, stromal remodelling, signal pathway activation through growth factor/receptor transfer, chemoresistance, immunologic activation and genetic exchange. These circulating exosomes not only represent a central mediator of the pro-inflammatory microenvironment linked with secondary brain injury, but their presence in the peripheral circulation may serve as a surrogate for biopsies, enabling real-time diagnosis and monitoring of neurodegenerative progression.

Protein Biomarkers and Neuroproteomics Characterization of Microvesicles/Exosomes from Human Cerebrospinal Fluid Following Traumatic Brain Injury

“…This role of exosomes and their cargo in TBI could lead to the possible use of them as biomarkers in TBI. Very few studies have explored the possibility of exosomes released from the brain cells after TBI as biomarkers for severity and clinical outcome assessment [38] and therapeutics [39]. In a recent review, the potential of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived exosomes for the treatment of TBI is explored [40].…”

(-)-Phenserine and Inhibiting Pre-Programmed Cell Death: In Pursuit of a Novel Intervention for Alzheimer’s Disease

“…These same exosome methods have already been used successfully with the AD biomarkers Aβ 42 , Tau, and others. 23–30 Similarly, Bcl-2/BAX ratios and activated Capsase 3 assays have had wide use assessing apoptotic activities in cancer and other disorders 31 , and are widely evaluated in preclinical drug development models. 32 …”

Mesenchymal stromal cell secretome as a therapeutic strategy for traumatic brain injury

“…The molecular mechanisms of exosome‐mediated neurological and functional recovery are not fully understood. However, several lines of evidence suggest that the contents of exosomes are rich in proteins, bioactive lipid, mRNA, and miRNAs that can be delivered to the recipient cells to evoke physiological and functional processes . Specifically, miRNAs are master regulators of protein translation and this observation indicate the possibility of exosomes to alter the expression of genes by miRNAs in the recipient cells for the mediation of therapeutic effects .…”