Medicina Fluminensis, Vol. 62 No. 1, 2026.
Pregledni rad
https://doi.org/10.21860/medflum2026_343563
Extracellular Vesicles in Therapy of Neurodegenerative Diseases
Marin Tota
orcid.org/0000-0002-9131-4587
; Sveučilište u Rijeci, Medicinski fakultet, Zavod za medicinsku kemiju, biokemiju i kliničku kemiju, Rijeka, Hrvatska
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* Dopisni autor.
Sažetak
The complete loss or dysfunction of neurons is the main feature of neurodegenerative diseases, which include Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Huntington's disease, and some others. At present, there are no available options to completely stop or reverse the progression of these diseases, and current therapies are mainly symptomatic. However, recently new therapeutic platforms based on extracellular vesicles have emerged. Extracellular vesicles are natural nanovesicles produced by all cells and are very promising in the therapy of neurodegenerative diseases due to their low immunogenicity, targeted actions on cells, and the ability to easily cross bodily barriers, including the blood-brain barrier. They transport their cargo directly to neurons, astrocytes, and glial cells, which may include drugs, proteins, microRNAs, and small interfering RNAs. Furthermore, their surface can be modified to enhance the delivery to specific areas of the brain affected by neurodegeneration. Preclinical studies have demonstrated that treatments using extracellular vesicles enhance neuron survival, reduce protein aggregation, and modulate neuroinflammation. However, in terms of clinical translation, some questions arise regarding the efficacy of introducing small molecules into extracellular vesicles or their long-term safety. In conclusion, extracellular vesicles represent a new, revolutionary therapeutic approach within the complex pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases.
Ključne riječi
drug delivery systems; extracellular vesicles; molecular targeted therapy; neurodegenerative diseases
Hrčak ID:
343563
URI
Datum izdavanja:
1.3.2026.
Posjeta: 249 *