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Analysis of Brain Mitochondria Using Serial Block-Face Scanning Electron Microscopy
Published on: July 9, 2016
CNS Mitochondria-Derived Vesicle in Blood: Potential Biomarkers for Brain Mitochondria Dysfunction
Qi Liu1, Wentao Chen1, Yahong Wu2
1Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Objective:
Mitochondrial dysfunction is a hallmark of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's (AD) and Parkinson's (PD). Our goal was to develop practical, noninvasive methods to assess mitochondrial status through the detection of mitochondria-derived vesicles (MDVs).
Methods:
We explored blood-borne MDVs, a recently identified class of extracellular vesicles, as potential biomarkers for CNS mitochondrial status.
Results:
The study identified MDVs from neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes specifically in human plasma. A novel nanoflow cytometry was developed to evaluate the level of neuron-, astrocyte-, and oligodendrocyte-derived MDVs in plasma in AD and PD patients. Importantly, analyses of discovery and validation cohorts revealed significantly lower brain cell-specific MDVs in AD and PD patients compared to healthy controls.
Interpretation:
This study suggests that blood MDVs could serve as noninvasive biomarkers for mitochondrial dysfunction in AD, PD, and beyond, potentially aiding in monitoring mitochondrial-focused therapies for neurological disorders.
