Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Overview of Exosomes

Overview of Exosomes

Exosomes are stable, lipid bilayer-enclosed vesicles capable of crossing biological barriers. They can carry a wide range of molecules required for intercellular communication. Once exosomes are released from the cell where they originated, they enter a recipient cell through various pathways such as fusion, receptor-mediated endocytosis, macropinocytosis, and phagocytosis.
Stahl et al. discovered exosomes in 1983, but the exosomes were initially considered waste products released from the...

Synaptic Signaling

Synaptic Signaling

Neurons communicate at synapses, or junctions, to excite or inhibit the activity of other neurons or target cells, such as muscles. Synapses may be chemical or electrical.
Most synapses are chemical, meaning an electrical impulse or action potential spurs the release of chemical messengers called neurotransmitters. The neuron sending the signal is called the presynaptic neuron, and the neuron receiving the signal is the postsynaptic neuron.
The presynaptic neuron fires an action potential that...

Paracrine Signaling

Paracrine Signaling

Paracrine signaling allows cells to communicate with their immediate neighbors via secretion of signaling molecules. Such a signal can only trigger a response in nearby target cells because the signal molecules degrade quickly or are inactivated if not taken up. Prominent examples of paracrine signaling include nitric oxide signaling in blood vessels, synaptic signaling of neurons, the blood clotting system, tissue repair/wound healing, and local allergic skin reactions. Nitric oxide as a...

Neuronal Communication

Neuronal Communication

Neurons, the fundamental units of the brain and nervous system, communicate through complex electrochemical signals that underpin all cognitive and bodily functions. This communication is primarily facilitated by a process involving the generation and propagation of an action potential along the axon of the neuron. When the internal electrical charge of a neuron surpasses a certain threshold, an action potential is triggered. This rapid change in voltage travels swiftly along the axon to the...

Overview of Cell Signaling

Overview of Cell Signaling

Despite the protective membrane that separates a cell from the environment, cells need the ability to detect and respond to environmental changes. Additionally, cells often need to communicate with one another. Unicellular and multicellular organisms use a variety of cell signaling mechanisms to communicate with the environment.
Cells respond to many types of information, often through receptor proteins positioned on the membrane. For example, skin cells respond to and transmit touch...

Types of Signaling Molecules

Types of Signaling Molecules

In multicellular organisms, many molecules transmit signals between cells to pass information. These signals vary in complexity and include small peptides, nucleotides, steroids, fatty acid derivatives, and dissolved gases such as nitric oxide. Some signaling molecules diffuse through the plasma membrane to act locally between neighboring cells or travel long distances. Others remain attached to the cell surface, transmitting information to other cells only when they make contact. In some...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Analysis of Purity and Quality of Small Extracellular Vesicles Isolated from Blood Plasma by Proteomics and Raman Spectroscopy.

Biochemistry. Biokhimiia·2026

Same author

Extracellular Vesicles as Potential Biomarkers in Addictive Disorders.

Biochemistry. Biokhimiia·2024

Same author

Commentary on the article titled "Human in vivo evidence of reduced astrocyte activation and neuroinflammation in patients with treatment-resistant depression following electroconvulsive therapy" by Xu et al.

Psychiatry and clinical neurosciences·2024

Same author

Factors associated with lifetime history of eating disorder in non-psychotic patients with suicidal ideation.

Consortium psychiatricum·2024

Same author

Development of Post-Stroke Cognitive and Depressive Disturbances: Associations with Neurohumoral Indices.

Current issues in molecular biology·2022

Same author

Elevated Serum Cortisol Levels in Patients with Focal Epilepsy, Depression, and Comorbid Epilepsy and Depression.

International journal of molecular sciences·2022

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 2, 2025

Formulating and Characterizing an Exosome-based Dopamine Carrier System

Formulating and Characterizing an Exosome-based Dopamine Carrier System

Published on: April 4, 2022

Neuronal Exosomes as a New Signaling System.

Alexander A Yakovlev^1,2

¹Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 117485, Russia. al_yakovlev@ihna.ru.

Biochemistry. Biokhimiia

|April 20, 2023

Summary

Brain exosomes are increasingly studied for their role in cell communication. This review explores their potential as non-canonical neurotransmitters, suggesting a new signaling system in the brain.

Keywords:

SNARE complex calcium depolarization exosomes extracellular vesicles neurons small GTPases Rab

More Related Videos

Characterization of Immune Cell-derived Extracellular Vesicles and Studying Functional Impact on Cell Environment

Characterization of Immune Cell-derived Extracellular Vesicles and Studying Functional Impact on Cell Environment

Published on: June 2, 2020

Extraction of Extracellular Vesicles from Whole Tissue

Extraction of Extracellular Vesicles from Whole Tissue

Published on: February 7, 2019

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Aug 2, 2025

Formulating and Characterizing an Exosome-based Dopamine Carrier System

Formulating and Characterizing an Exosome-based Dopamine Carrier System

Published on: April 4, 2022

Characterization of Immune Cell-derived Extracellular Vesicles and Studying Functional Impact on Cell Environment

Characterization of Immune Cell-derived Extracellular Vesicles and Studying Functional Impact on Cell Environment

Published on: June 2, 2020

Extraction of Extracellular Vesicles from Whole Tissue

Extraction of Extracellular Vesicles from Whole Tissue

Published on: February 7, 2019

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Cell Biology
Biochemistry

Background:

Research on neuronal exosomes is rapidly expanding.
Exosomes show potential as diagnostic markers for neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders.
Exosome biogenesis and physiological roles are actively investigated.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the current understanding of exosome signaling in interneuronal communication.
To discuss the potential of brain exosomes as non-canonical neurotransmitters.
To present a novel concept of brain exosomes as a distinct signaling system.

Main Methods:

Literature review of studies on neuronal exosomes.
Analysis of exosome biogenesis and signaling pathways.
Synthesis of existing data to propose a new functional role.

Main Results:

Exosomes play a significant role in interneuronal communication.
Accumulated data support the involvement of exosome signaling cascades.
Evidence suggests exosomes may function beyond their known roles.

Conclusions:

Brain exosomes may represent a novel non-canonical neurotransmitter system.
Further research is warranted to validate the proposed signaling role.
Exosomes could constitute a new signaling paradigm in the brain.