Exosome Release and Cargo in Down Syndrome

Authors

Eric D. Hamlett, Medical University of South Carolina
Angela LaRosa, Medical University of South Carolina
Elliott J. Mufson, Barrow Neurological Institute
Juan Fortea, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau, CIBERNED, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Hospital Clínic, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica August Pi i Sunyer, University of Barcelona
Aurélie Ledreux, Knoebel Institute for Healthy Aging, University of DenverFollow
Ann‐Charlotte Granholm, Knoebel Institute for Healthy Aging, University of DenverFollow

Publication Date

8-6-2019

Document Type

Article

Organizational Units

Biological Sciences, Knoebel Institute for Healthy Aging

Keywords

Alzheimer's disease, Biomarkers, Down syndrome, Extracellular vesicles, Neurodegeneration

Abstract

Down syndrome (DS) is a multisystem disorder affecting 1 in 800 births worldwide. Advancing technology, medical treatment, and social intervention have dramatically increased life expectancy, yet there are many etiologies of this disorder that are in need of further research. The advent of the ability to capture extracellular vesicles (EVs) in blood from specific cell types allows for the investigation of novel intracellular processes. Exosomes are one type of EVs that have demonstrated great potential in uncovering new biomarkers of neurodegeneration and disease, and also that appear to be intricately involved in the transsynaptic spread of pathogenic factors underlying Alzheimer's disease and other neurological diseases. Exosomes are nanosized vesicles, generated in endosomal multivesicular bodies (MVBs) and secreted by most cells in the body. Since exosomes are important mediators of intercellular communication and genetic exchange, they have emerged as a major research focus and have revealed novel biological sequelae involved in conditions afflicting the DS population. This review summarizes current knowledge on exosome biology in individuals with DS, both early in life and in aging individuals. Collectively these studies have demonstrated that complex multicellular processes underlying DS etiologies may include abnormal formation and secretion of extracellular vesicles such as exosomes.

Publication Statement

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Recommended Citation

Hamlett, Eric D, et al. “Exosome Release and Cargo in Down Syndrome.” Developmental Neurobiology (Hoboken, N.J.), vol. 79, no. 7, 2019, pp. 639–655. doi: 10.1002/dneu.22712.