Emergence of exosomal DNA in molecular neuropathology

Abstract

AbstractBackground:Exosomes are small vesicles of sizes between 40 and 100 nm. They are actively segregated by numerous different cell types and they can be found in almost all body fluids. Thus, there is an emerging role of exosomes and exosomal deoxyribonucleic acid (exoDNA) in biomedical research, especially in molecular medicine. Exosomes are assembled and segregated actively and carry distinct surface markers for cellular communication. They are loaded with cargo such as DNA, ribonucleic acid (RNA) and proteins. As there are numerous different exosomal purification methods available, it is of essential need to select an appropriate technique to get reliable results. As neuropathology is faced with the challenge that brain tissue is not accessible in an easy fashion, exosomes represent an ideal tool for molecular neuropathology. Thus, disease-specific molecular alterations will be detectable in a minimally invasive way for early disease diagnosis and surveillance.Summary:The analysis of exoDNA as biomarkers in neuropathology will enable early diagnosis, monitoring and relapse detection of brain tumors and neuropsychiatric disorders.Outlook:It is assumed that the significance of exosomes will increase in the upcoming years. There are powerful approaches in development using exosomes in molecularly targeted therapy to ultimately cure devastating brain diseases.