Utility of extracellular vesicles in the diagnosis of central nervous system diseases
6 affiliations
- 1School of Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
- 2College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
- 3Medical School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
- 4School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
- 5Experimental Center, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
- 6Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Classical Theory, Ministry of Education, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Abstract
Central nervous system (CNS) disorders encompass a diverse spectrum of conditions characterized by intricate pathological mechanisms, and the presence of the blood–brain barrier (BBB) has long impeded early diagnosis. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are lipid bilayer nanoparticles released by living cells that can encapsulate and transport bioactive molecules such as proteins and nucleic acids across the BBB. EVs can be detected in biofluids such as blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) through non-invasive or minimally invasive assays, and have emerged as highly promising vehicles for CNS liquid biopsies. Recent studies demonstrate that specific EV-associated protein cargoes (e.g., phosphorylated tau, α-syn) and non-coding RNAs (e.g., miR-422a, miR-409-3p) exhibit distinct differential expression profiles across various pathologies. These molecular signatures hold promise for early detection, differential diagnosis, and disease staging, with some biomarker panels showing high diagnostic accuracy. However, whether they outperform conventional CSF biomarkers still requires direct comparison and validation within the same cohorts. This review highlights recent research advances in the use of EVs for the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, briefly touches upon other CNS disorders including stroke, glioma, multiple sclerosis, Huntington’s disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and discusses the clinical translational potential and remaining challenges of EV-based diagnostics.
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BibTeX
@article{wang2026utility,
title = {{Utility of extracellular vesicles in the diagnosis of central nervous system diseases}},
author = {Minghao Wang and Junwen Yang and Conghao Gao and Siyu Qu and Hongyu Mi and Yu Guo and Ting Gui and Zhibo Gai},
journal = {Frontiers in Neurology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fneur.2026.1959745},
url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2026.1959745/full},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Utility of extracellular vesicles in the diagnosis of central nervous system diseases
AU - Minghao Wang
AU - Junwen Yang
AU - Conghao Gao
AU - Siyu Qu
AU - Hongyu Mi
AU - Yu Guo
AU - Ting Gui
AU - Zhibo Gai
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/19
JO - Frontiers in Neurology
DO - 10.3389/fneur.2026.1959745
UR - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2026.1959745/full
AB - Central nervous system (CNS) disorders encompass a diverse spectrum of conditions characterized by intricate pathological mechanisms, and the presence of the blood–brain barrier (BBB) has long impeded early diagnosis. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are lipid bilayer nanoparticles released by living cells that can encapsulate and transport bioactive molecules such as proteins and nucleic acids across the BBB. EVs can be detected in biofluids such as blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) through non-invasive or minimally invasive assays, and have emerged as highly promising vehicles for CNS liquid biopsies. Recent studies demonstrate that specific EV-associated protein cargoes (e.g., phosphorylated tau, α-syn) and non-coding RNAs (e.g., miR-422a, miR-409-3p) exhibit distinct differential expression profiles across various pathologies. These molecular signatures hold promise for early detection, differential diagnosis, and disease staging, with some biomarker panels showing high diagnostic accuracy. However, whether they outperform conventional CSF biomarkers still requires direct comparison and validation within the same cohorts. This review highlights recent research advances in the use of EVs for the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, briefly touches upon other CNS disorders including stroke, glioma, multiple sclerosis, Huntington’s disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and discusses the clinical translational potential and remaining challenges of EV-based diagnostics.
SN - 1664-2295
ER -