School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanxi Medical University, 56 Xinjiannan Road, Taiyuan 030001, China.
Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, 11 Mandalay Road, Singapore 308232, Singapore.
Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Jul 4;24(13):11054. doi: 10.3390/ijms241311054.
Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD) are the most common neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) threatening the lives of millions of people worldwide, including especially elderly people. Currently, due to the lack of a timely diagnosis and proper intervention strategy, AD and PD largely remain incurable. Innovative diagnosis and therapy are highly desired. Exosomes are small vesicles that are present in various bodily fluids, which contain proteins, nucleic acids, and active biomolecules, and which play a crucial role especially in intercellular communication. In recent years, the role of exosomes in the pathogenesis, early diagnosis, and treatment of diseases has attracted ascending attention. However, the exact role of exosomes in the pathogenesis and theragnostic of AD and PD has not been fully illustrated. In the present review, we first introduce the biogenesis, components, uptake, and function of exosomes. Then we elaborate on the involvement of exosomes in the pathogenesis of AD and PD. Moreover, the application of exosomes in the diagnosis and therapeutics of AD and PD is also summarized and discussed. Additionally, exosomes serving as drug carriers to deliver medications to the central nervous system are specifically addressed. The potential role of exosomes in AD and PD is explored, discussing their applications in diagnosis and treatment, as well as their current limitations. Given the limitation in the application of exosomes, we also propose future perspectives for better utilizing exosomes in NDDs. Hopefully, it would pave ways for expanding the biological applications of exosomes in fundamental research as well as theranostics of NDDs.
阿尔茨海默病（AD）和帕金森病（PD）是全球威胁数百万人生命的最常见神经退行性疾病（NDD），尤其是老年人。目前，由于缺乏及时的诊断和适当的干预策略，AD 和 PD 在很大程度上仍然无法治愈。创新的诊断和治疗方法备受期待。外泌体是存在于各种体液中的小囊泡，其中包含蛋白质、核酸和活性生物分子，它们在细胞间通讯中起着至关重要的作用。近年来，外泌体在疾病的发病机制、早期诊断和治疗中的作用引起了越来越多的关注。然而，外泌体在 AD 和 PD 的发病机制和治疗中的确切作用尚未完全阐明。在本综述中，我们首先介绍了外泌体的生物发生、组成、摄取和功能。然后，我们详细阐述了外泌体在 AD 和 PD 发病机制中的作用。此外，还总结和讨论了外泌体在 AD 和 PD 的诊断和治疗中的应用。此外，还专门讨论了外泌体作为药物载体将药物递送到中枢神经系统的应用。探讨了外泌体在 AD 和 PD 中的潜在作用，讨论了它们在诊断和治疗中的应用以及当前的局限性。鉴于外泌体的应用局限性，我们还提出了未来更好地利用外泌体治疗 NDD 的观点。希望这将为扩大外泌体在神经退行性疾病基础研究和治疗中的生物学应用铺平道路。
