A skin-specific α-Synuclein seeding amplification assay for diagnosing Parkinson's disease.

The seeding amplification assay (SAA) has recently emerged as a valuable tool for detecting α-synuclein (αSyn) aggregates in various clinically accessible biospecimens. Despite its efficiency and specificity, optimal tissue-specific conditions for distinguishing Parkinson's disease (PD) from non-PD outside the brain remain underexplored. This study systematically evaluated 150 reaction conditions to identify the one with the highest discriminatory potential between PD and non-synucleinopathy controls using skin samples, resulting in a modified SAA. The streamlined SAA achieved an overall sensitivity of 92.46% and specificity of 93.33% on biopsy skin samples from 332 PD patients and 285 controls within 24 h. Inter-laboratory reproducibility demonstrated a Cohen's kappa value of 0.87 (95% CI 0.69-1.00), indicating nearly perfect agreement. Additionally, αSyn seeds in the skin were stable at -80 °C but were vulnerable to short-term exposure to non-ultra-low temperatures and grinding. This study thoroughly investigated procedures for sample preprocessing, seed amplification, and storage, introducing a well-structured experimental framework for PD diagnosis using skin samples.

Neural Progenitor Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles Enhance Blood-Brain Barrier Integrity by NF-κB (Nuclear Factor-κB)-Dependent Regulation of ABCB1 (ATP-Binding Cassette Transporter B1) in Stroke Mice.

OBJECTIVE: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from neural progenitor cells enhance poststroke neurological recovery, albeit the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Since previous research described an enhanced poststroke integrity of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) upon systemic transplantation of neural progenitor cells, we examined if neural progenitor cell-derived EVs affect BBB integrity and which cellular mechanisms are involved in the process. Approach and Results: Using in vitro models of primary brain endothelial cell (EC) cultures as well as co-cultures of brain ECs (ECs) and astrocytes exposed to oxygen glucose deprivation, we examined the effects of EVs or vehicle on microvascular integrity. In vitro data were confirmed using a mouse transient middle cerebral artery occlusion model. Cultured ECs displayed increased ABCB1 (ATP-binding cassette transporter B1) levels when exposed to oxygen glucose deprivation, which was reversed by treatment with EVs. The latter was due to an EV-induced inhibition of the NF-κB (nuclear factor-κB) pathway. Using a BBB co-culture model of ECs and astrocytes exposed to oxygen glucose deprivation, EVs stabilized the BBB and ABCB1 levels without affecting the transcellular electrical resistance of ECs. Likewise, EVs yielded reduced Evans blue extravasation, decreased ABCB1 expression as well as an inhibition of the NF-κB pathway, and downstream matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) activity in stroke mice. The EV-induced inhibition of the NF-κB pathway resulted in a poststroke modulation of immune responses. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that EVs enhance poststroke BBB integrity via ABCB1 and MMP-9 regulation, attenuating inflammatory cell recruitment by inhibition of the NF-κB pathway. Graphic Abstract: A graphic abstract is available for this article.

Lithium modulates miR-1906 levels of mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles contributing to poststroke neuroprotection by toll-like receptor 4 regulation.

Lithium is neuroprotective in preclinical stroke models. In addition to that, poststroke neuroregeneration is stimulated upon transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Preconditioning of MSCs with lithium further enhances the neuroregenerative potential of MSCs, which act by secreting extracellular vesicles (EVs). The present work analyzed whether MSC preconditioning with lithium modifies EV secretion patterns, enhancing the therapeutic potential of such derived EVs (Li-EVs) in comparison with EVs enriched from native MSCs. Indeed, Li-EVs significantly enhanced the resistance of cultured astrocytes, microglia, and neurons against hypoxic injury when compared with controls and to native EV-treated cells. Using a stroke mouse model, intravenous delivery of Li-EVs increased neurological recovery and neuroregeneration for as long as 3 months in comparison with controls and EV-treated mice, albeit the latter also showed significantly better behavioral test performance compared with controls. Preconditioning of MSCs with lithium also changed the secretion patterns for such EVs, modifying the contents of various miRNAs within these vesicles. As such, Li-EVs displayed significantly increased levels of miR-1906, which has been shown to be a new regulator of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling. Li-EVs reduced posthypoxic and postischemic TLR4 abundance, resulting in an inhibition of the nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) signaling pathway, decreased proteasomal activity, and declined both inducible NO synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 expression, all of which culminated in reduced levels of poststroke cerebral inflammation. Conclusively, the present study demonstrates, for the first time, an enhanced therapeutic potential of Li-EVs compared with native EVs, interfering with a novel signaling pathway that yields both acute neuroprotection and enhanced neurological recovery.

Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells reduce autophagy in stroke mice by extracellular vesicle transfer of miR-25.

Grafted mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) yield neuroprotection in preclinical stroke models by secreting extracellular vesicles (EVs). The neuroprotective cargo of EVs, however, has not yet been identified. To investigate such cargo and its underlying mechanism, primary neurons were exposed to oxygen-glucose-deprivation (OGD) and cocultured with adipose-derived MSCs (ADMSCs) or ADMSC-secreted EVs. Under such conditions, both ADMSCs and ADMSC-secreted EVs significantly reduced neuronal death. Screening for signalling cascades being involved in the interaction between ADMSCs and neurons revealed a decreased autophagic flux as well as a declined p53-BNIP3 activity in neurons receiving either treatment paradigm. However, the aforementioned effects were reversed when ADMSCs were pretreated with the inhibitor of exosomal secretion GW4869 or when Hrs was knocked down. In light of miR-25-3p being the most highly expressed miRNA in ADMSC-EVs interacting with the p53 pathway, further in vitro work focused on this pathway. Indeed, a miR-25-3p oligonucleotide mimic reduced cell death, whereas the anti-oligonucleotide increased autophagic flux and cell death by modulating p53-BNIP3 signalling in primary neurons exposed to OGD. Likewise, native ADMSC-EVs but not EVs obtained from ADMSCs pretreated with the anti-miR-25-3p oligonucleotide (ADMSC-EVsanti-miR-25-3p) confirmed the aforementioned in vitro observations in C57BL/6 mice exposed to cerebral ischemia. The infarct size was reduced, and neurological recovery was increased in mice treated with native ADMSC-EVs when compared to ADMSC-EVsanti-miR-25-3p. ADMSCs induce neuroprotection by improved autophagic flux through secreted EVs containing miR-25-3p. Hence, our work uncovers a novel key factor in naturally secreted ADMSC-EVs for the regulation of autophagy and induction of neuroprotection in a preclinical stroke model.