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Updated: Jun 5, 2025

Uptake of Fluorescent Labeled Small Extracellular Vesicles In Vitro and in Spinal Cord
Published on: May 23, 2021
Extracellular vesicles: biological mechanisms and emerging therapeutic opportunities in neurodegenerative diseases
Ling Wang1, Xiaoyan Zhang1, Ziyi Yang1
1The Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China.
Abstract:
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membrane vesicles originating from different cells within the brain. The pathophysiological role of EVs in neurodegenerative diseases is progressively acknowledged. This field has advanced from basic biological research to essential clinical significance. The capacity to selectively enrich specific subsets of EVs from biofluids via distinctive surface markers has opened new avenues for molecular understandings across various tissues and organs, notably in the brain. In recent years, brain-derived EVs have been extensively investigated as biomarkers, therapeutic targets, and drug-delivery vehicles for neurodegenerative diseases. This review provides a brief overview of the characteristics and physiological functions of the various classes of EVs, focusing on the biological mechanisms by which various types of brain-derived EVs mediate the occurrence and development of neurodegenerative diseases. Concurrently, novel therapeutic approaches and challenges for the use of EVs as delivery vehicles are delineated.
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