Extracellular vesicles and their diagnostic potential in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Abstract

Extracellular vesicles, small reservoirs that carry various biomolecules, have gained significant interest from the clinical field in recent years based on the diagnostic, therapeutic and prognostic possibilities they offer. While information abound regarding the clinical potential of such vesicles in diverse conditions, the information demonstrating their likely importance in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is more limited. This review will thus provide a brief introduction to extracellular vesicles, highlight their diagnostic significance in various diseases with a focus on ALS and explore additional applications of extracellular vesicles in the medical field. Overall, this work sheds further light on the clinical importance of extracellular vesicles in diagnostic applications as well as supports the need to better characterize their roles and signatures in patients diagnosed with ALS.

Keywords: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; Diagnostic tool; Exosomes; Extracellular vesicles; Liquid biopsy; Neurodegenerative diseases.