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Updated: Jul 9, 2025

Harnessing the Power of MicroRNA Cargoes in Small Extracellular Vesicles Released from Fresh-Frozen Human Brain Sections
Published on: November 8, 2024
miRNA cargo in circulating vesicles from neurons is altered in individuals with schizophrenia and associated with
Michelle M Barnett1,2, William R Reay1,2, Michael P Geaghan3
1School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medicine, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia.
Abstract:
While RNA expression appears to be altered in several brain disorders, the constraints of postmortem analysis make it impractical for well-powered population studies and biomarker development. Given that the unique molecular composition of neurons are reflected in their extracellular vesicles (EVs), we hypothesized that the fractionation of neuron derived EVs provides an opportunity to specifically profile their encapsulated contents noninvasively from blood. To investigate this hypothesis, we determined miRNA expression in microtubule associated protein 1B (MAP1B)-enriched serum EVs derived from neurons from a large cohort of individuals with schizophrenia and nonpsychiatric comparison participants. We observed dysregulation of miRNA in schizophrenia subjects, in particular those with treatment-resistance and severe cognitive deficits. These data support the hypothesis that schizophrenia is associated with alterations in posttranscriptional regulation of synaptic gene expression and provides an example of the potential utility of tissue-specific EV analysis in brain disorders.
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