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Single Extracellular Vesicle Analysis Using Flow Cytometry for Neurological Disorder Biomarkers
Houda Yasmine Ali Moussa1, Nimshitha Manaph1, Gowher Ali1
1Neurological Disorders Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar.
Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience
|June 3, 2022
Summary
Researchers identified neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM)-positive neuronal extracellular vesicles (EVs) in blood plasma. These circulating EVs show potential as non-invasive biomarkers for diagnosing neurological disorders.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Biochemistry
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Extracellular vesicles (EVs) mediate cell-to-cell communication via biomolecule transfer.
- Circulating EVs can cross the blood-brain barrier, offering potential as non-invasive biomarkers for neurological disorders.
- Identifying specific neuronal EV markers in plasma is crucial but remains challenging due to EV heterogeneity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and characterize neuronal extracellular vesicle (EV) markers in human blood plasma.
- To investigate the utility of plasma neuronal EVs as biomarkers for neurological disorders.
Main Methods:
- Isolation of plasma EVs using size exclusion chromatography.
- Analysis of individual EVs using flow cytometry.
- Detection of neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) as a neuronal EV marker in EVs derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and brain organoids.
Main Results:
- Plasma EVs isolated were primarily CD63-positive exosomes of endosomal origin.
- Neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) was highly enriched in EVs from iPSC-derived cortical neurons and brain organoids.
- Flow cytometry identified subpopulations of plasma EVs containing NCAM.
Conclusions:
- Plasma NCAM-positive neuronal EVs represent a promising avenue for discovering non-invasive biomarkers for neurological disorders.
- Individual EV analysis via flow cytometry overcomes limitations of bulk analysis for heterogeneous EV populations.
