Isolation and usage of exosomes in central nervous system diseases.

BACKGROUND: Exosomes are vesicles secreted by all types of mammalian cells. They are characterized by a double-layered lipid membrane structure. They serve as carriers for a plethora of signal molecules, including DNA, RNA, proteins, and lipids. Their unique capability of effortlessly crossing the blood-brain barrier underscores their critical role in the progression of various neurological disorders. This includes, but is not limited to, diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and ischemic stroke. Establishing stable and mature methods for isolating exosomes is a prerequisite for the study of exosomes and their biomedical significance. The extraction technologies of exosomes include differential centrifugation, density gradient centrifugation, size exclusion chromatography, ultrafiltration, polymer coprecipitation, immunoaffinity capture, microfluidic, and so forth. Each extraction technology has its own advantages and disadvantages, and the extraction standards of exosomes have not been unified internationally. AIMS: This review aimed to showcase the recent advancements in exosome isolation techniques and thoroughly compare the advantages and disadvantages of different methods. Furthermore, the significant research progress made in using exosomes for diagnosing and treating central nervous system (CNS) diseases has been emphasized. CONCLUSION: The varying isolation methods result in differences in the concentration, purity, and size of exosomes. The efficient separation of exosomes facilitates their widespread application, particularly in the diagnosis and treatment of CNS diseases.

In Vivo Reprogramming Using Yamanaka Factors in the CNS: A Scoping Review.

Central nervous system diseases, particularly neurodegenerative disorders, pose significant challenges in medicine. These conditions, characterized by progressive neuronal loss, have remained largely incurable, exacting a heavy toll on individuals and society. In recent years, in vivo reprogramming using Yamanaka factors has emerged as a promising approach for central nervous system regeneration. This technique involves introducing transcription factors, such as Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc, into adult cells to induce their conversion into neurons. This review summarizes the current state of in vivo reprogramming research in the central nervous system, focusing on the use of Yamanaka factors. In vivo reprogramming using Yamanaka factors has shown promising results in several animal models of central nervous system diseases. Studies have demonstrated that this approach can promote the generation of new neurons, improve functional outcomes, and reduce scar formation. However, there are still several challenges that need to be addressed before this approach can be translated into clinical practice. These challenges include optimizing the efficiency of reprogramming, understanding the cell of origin for each transcription factor, and developing methods for reprogramming in non-subventricular zone areas. Further research is needed to overcome the remaining challenges, but this approach has the potential to revolutionize the way we treat central nervous system disorders.

Progress in the Treatment of Central Nervous System Diseases Based on Nanosized Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is widely used in clinical practice to treat diseases related to central nervous system (CNS) damage. However, the blood-brain barrier (BBB) constitutes a significant impediment to the effective delivery of TCM, thus substantially diminishing its efficacy. Advances in nanotechnology and its applications in TCM (also known as nano-TCM) can deliver active ingredients or components of TCM across the BBB to the targeted brain region. This review provides an overview of the physiological and pathological mechanisms of the BBB and systematically classifies the common TCM used to treat CNS diseases and types of nanocarriers that effectively deliver TCM to the brain. Additionally, drug delivery strategies for nano-TCMs that utilize in vivo physiological properties or in vitro devices to bypass or cross the BBB are discussed. This review further focuses on the application of nano-TCMs in the treatment of various CNS diseases. Finally, this article anticipates a design strategy for nano-TCMs with higher delivery efficiency and probes their application potential in treating a wider range of CNS diseases.

Role of succinylation modification in central nervous system diseases.

Diseases of the central nervous system (CNS), including stroke, brain tumors, and neurodegenerative diseases, have a serious impact on human health worldwide, especially in elderly patients. The brain, which is one of the body's most metabolically dynamic organs, lacks fuel stores and therefore requires a continuous supply of energy substrates. Metabolic abnormalities are closely associated with the pathogenesis of CNS disorders. Post-translational modifications (PTMs) are essential regulatory mechanisms that affect the functions of almost all proteins. Succinylation, a broad-spectrum dynamic PTM, primarily occurs in mitochondria and plays a crucial regulatory role in various diseases. In addition to directly affecting various metabolic cycle pathways, succinylation serves as an efficient and rapid biological regulatory mechanism that establishes a connection between metabolism and proteins, thereby influencing cellular functions in CNS diseases. This review offers a comprehensive analysis of succinylation and its implications in the pathological mechanisms of CNS diseases. The objective is to outline novel strategies and targets for the prevention and treatment of CNS conditions.

Current progression in application of extracellular vesicles in central nervous system diseases.

Early diagnosis and pharmacological treatment of central nervous system (CNS) diseases has been a long-standing challenge for clinical research due to the presence of the blood-brain barrier. Specific proteins and RNAs in brain-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) usually reflect the corresponding state of brain disease, and therefore, EVs can be used as diagnostic biomarkers for CNS diseases. In addition, EVs can be engineered and fused to target cells for delivery of cargo, demonstrating the great potential of EVs as a nanocarrier platform. We review the progress of EVs as markers and drug carriers in the diagnosis and treatment of neurological diseases. The main areas include visual imaging, biomarker diagnosis and drug loading therapy for different types of CNS diseases. It is hoped that increased knowledge of EVs will facilitate their clinical translation in CNS diseases.

Neurosarcoidosis.

Sarcoidosis affects the nervous system in 5% of cases. 60% of cases involve the cranial and peripheral nerves, the remainder the central nervous system, in which a leptomeningitis, a pachymeningitis and a vasculitis may arise. Stroke and cerebral haemorrhage may occur, and certain infections in the brain are more likely with sarcoidosis. Patients respond well to treatment but oftentimes with residual neurological impairments which may be severe. A greater understanding of the disease and the need for early treatment and use of biological therapies have improved treatment outcome in recent times.

Pediatric long-term noninvasive respiratory support in children with central nervous system disorders.

RATIONALE: The use of long-term noninvasive respiratory support is increasing in children along with an extension of indications, in particular in children with central nervous system (CNS) disorders. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics of children with CNS disorders treated with long-term noninvasive respiratory support in France. METHODS: Data were collected from 27 French pediatric university centers through an anonymous questionnaire filled for every child treated with noninvasive ventilatory support ≥3 months on 1st June 2019. MAIN RESULTS: The data of 182 patients (55% boys, median age: 10.2 [5.4;14.8] years old [range: 0.3-25]) were collected: 35 (19%) patients had nontumoral spinal cord injury, 22 (12%) CNS tumors, 63 (35%) multiple disabilities, 26 (14%) central alveolar hypoventilation and 36 (20%) other CNS disorders. Seventy five percent of the patients were treated with noninvasive ventilation (NIV) and 25% with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). The main investigations performed before CPAP/NIV initiation were nocturnal gas exchange recordings, alone or coupled with poly(somno)graphy (in 29% and 34% of the patients, respectively). CPAP/NIV was started in an acute setting in 10% of the patients. Median adherence was 8 [6;10] hours/night, with 12% of patients using treatment <4 h/day. Nasal mask was the most common interface (70%). Airway clearance techniques were used by 31% of patients. CONCLUSION: CPAP/NIV may be a therapeutic option in children with CNS disorders. Future studies should assess treatment efficacy and patient reported outcome measures.

Modulating the polarization phenotype of microglia - A valuable strategy for central nervous system diseases.

Central nervous system (CNS) diseases have become one of the leading causes of death in the global population. The pathogenesis of CNS diseases is complicated, so it is important to find the patterns of the disease to improve the treatment strategy. Microglia are considered to be a double-edged sword, playing both harmful and beneficial roles in CNS diseases. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the progression of the disease and the changes in the polar phenotype of microglia to provide guidance in the treatment of CNS diseases. Microglia activation may evolve into different phenotypes: M1 and M2 types. We focused on the roles that M1 and M2 microglia play in regulating intercellular dialogues, pathological reactions and specific diseases in CNS diseases. Importantly, we summarized the strategies used to modulate the polarization phenotype of microglia, including traditional pharmacological modulation, biological therapies, and physical strategies. This review will contribute to the development of potential strategies to modulate microglia polarization phenotypes and provide new alternative therapies for CNS diseases.

Astrocytes in human central nervous system diseases: a frontier for new therapies.

Astroglia are a broad class of neural parenchymal cells primarily dedicated to homoeostasis and defence of the central nervous system (CNS). Astroglia contribute to the pathophysiology of all neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders in ways that can be either beneficial or detrimental to disorder outcome. Pathophysiological changes in astroglia can be primary or secondary and can result in gain or loss of functions. Astroglia respond to external, non-cell autonomous signals associated with any form of CNS pathology by undergoing complex and variable changes in their structure, molecular expression, and function. In addition, internally driven, cell autonomous changes of astroglial innate properties can lead to CNS pathologies. Astroglial pathophysiology is complex, with different pathophysiological cell states and cell phenotypes that are context-specific and vary with disorder, disorder-stage, comorbidities, age, and sex. Here, we classify astroglial pathophysiology into (i) reactive astrogliosis, (ii) astroglial atrophy with loss of function, (iii) astroglial degeneration and death, and (iv) astrocytopathies characterised by aberrant forms that drive disease. We review astroglial pathophysiology across the spectrum of human CNS diseases and disorders, including neurotrauma, stroke, neuroinfection, autoimmune attack and epilepsy, as well as neurodevelopmental, neurodegenerative, metabolic and neuropsychiatric disorders. Characterising cellular and molecular mechanisms of astroglial pathophysiology represents a new frontier to identify novel therapeutic strategies.

Engineered bacterial extracellular vesicles for central nervous system diseases.

The prevalence of central nervous system (CNS) diseases is on the rise as the population ages. The presence of various obstacles, particularly the blood-brain barrier (BBB), poses a challenge for drug delivery to the CNS. An expanding body of study suggests that gut microbiota (GM) plays an important role in CNS diseases. The communication between GM and CNS diseases has received increasing attention. Accumulating evidence indicates that the GM can modulate host signaling pathways to regulate distant organ functions by delivering bioactive substances to host cells via bacterial extracellular vesicles (BEVs). BEVs have emerged as a promising platform for the treatment of CNS diseases due to their nanostructure, ability to penetrate the BBB, as well as their low toxicity, high biocompatibility, ease of modification and large-scale culture. Here, we discuss the biogenesis, internalization mechanism and engineering modification methods of BEVs. We then focus on the use and potential role of BEVs in the treatment of CNS diseases. Finally, we outline the main challenges and future prospects for the application of BEVs in CNS diseases. We hope that the comprehensive understanding of the BEVs-based gut-brain axis will provide new insights into the treatment of CNS diseases.

Positive and negative cell therapy in randomized control trials for central nervous system diseases.

Neurorestorative cell therapies have been tested to treat patients with nervous system diseases for over 20 years. Now it is still hard to answer which kinds of cells can really play a role on improving these patients' quality of life. Non-randomized clinical trials or studies could not provide strong evidences in answering this critical question. In this review, we summarized randomized clinical trials of cell therapies for central nervous diseases, such as stroke, spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy (CP), Parkinson's disease (PD), multiple sclerosis (MS), brain trauma, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), etc. Most kinds of cell therapies demonstrated negative results for stoke, brain trauma and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. A few kinds of cell therapies showed neurorestorative effects in this level of evidence-based medicine, such as olfactory ensheating cells for chronic ischemic stroke. Some kinds of cells showed positive or negative effects from different teams in the same or different diseases. We analyzed the possible failed reasons of negative results and the cellular bio-propriety basis of positive results. Based on therapeutic results of randomized control trials and reasonable analysis, we recommend: (1) to further conduct trials for successful cell therapies with positive results to increase neurorestorative effects; (2) to avoid in repeating failed cell therapies with negative results in same diseases because it is nonsense for them to be done with similar treatment methods, such as cell dosage, transplanting way, time of window, etc. Furthermore, we strongly suggest not to do non-randomized clinical trials for cells that had shown negative results in randomized clinical trials.

Circular RNAs: Diagnostic and Therapeutic Perspectives in CNS Diseases.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a class of regulatory non-coding RNAs characterized by the presence of covalently closed ends. A growing body of evidence suggests that circRNAs play important roles in physiology and pathology. In particular, accumulating data on circRNA functions in various central nervous system (CNS) diseases and their correlations indicate that circRNAs are critical contributors to the onset and development of brain disorders. In this review, we focus on the regulatory and functional roles of circRNAs in CNS diseases, highlighting their diagnostic and therapeutic potential, with the aim of providing new insights into CNS diseases.

Stem cells in central nervous system diseases: Promising therapeutic strategies.

Central nervous system (CNS) diseases are a leading cause of death and disability. Due to CNS neurons have no self-renewal and regenerative ability as they mature, their loss after injury or disease is irreversible and often leads to functional impairments. Unfortunately, therapeutic options for CNS diseases are still limited, and effective treatments for these notorious diseases are warranted to be explored. At present, stem cell therapy has emerged as a potential therapeutic strategy for improving the prognosis of CNS diseases. Accumulating preclinical and clinical evidences have demonstrated that multiple molecular mechanisms, such as cell replacement, immunoregulation and neurotrophic effect, underlie the use of stem cell therapy for CNS diseases. However, several issues have yet to be addressed to support its clinical application. Thus, this review article aims to summarize the role and underlying mechanisms of stem cell therapy in treating CNS diseases. And it is worthy of further evaluation for the potential therapeutic applications of stem cell treatment in CNS disease.

Development of microRNA-based therapeutics for central nervous system diseases.

MicroRNA (miRNA)-mediated gene silencing is a method of RNA interference in which a miRNA binds to messenger RNA sequences and regulates target gene expression. MiRNA-based therapeutics have shown promise in treating a variety of central nervous system diseases, as verified by results from diverse preclinical model organisms. Over the last decade, several miRNA-based therapeutics have entered clinical trials for various kinds of diseases, such as tumors, infections, and inherited diseases. However, such clinical trials for central nervous system diseases are scarce, and many central nervous system diseases, including hemorrhagic stroke, ischemic stroke, traumatic brain injury, intractable epilepsy, and Alzheimer's disease, lack effective treatment. Considering its effectiveness for central nervous system diseases in preclinical experiments, microRNA-based intervention may serve as a promising treatment for these kinds of diseases. This paper reviews basic principles and recent progress of miRNA-based therapeutics and summarizes general procedures to develop such therapeutics for treating central nervous system diseases. Then, the current obstacles in drug development are discussed. This review also provides a new perspective on possible solutions to these obstacles in the future.

Virus-Specific T-Cell Therapy for Viral Infections of the Central Nervous System: A Review.

Opportunistic viral infections of the central nervous system represent a significant cause of morbidity and mortality among an increasing number of immunocompromised patients. Since antiviral treatments are usually poorly effective, the prognosis generally relies on the ability to achieve timely immune reconstitution. Hence, strategies aimed at reinvigorating antiviral immune activity have recently emerged. Among these, virus-specific T-cells are increasingly perceived as a principled and valuable tool to treat opportunistic viral infections. Here we briefly discuss how to develop and select virus-specific T-cells, then review their main indications in central nervous system infections, including progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, CMV infection, and adenovirus infection. We also discuss their potential interest in the treatment of progressive multiple sclerosis, or EBV-associated central nervous system inflammatory disease. We finish with the key future milestones of this promising treatment strategy.

Neuroethical implications of focused ultrasound for neuropsychiatric illness.

BACKGROUND: MR-guided focused ultrasound is a promising intervention for treatment-resistant mental illness, and merits contextualized ethical exploration in relation to more extensive ethical literature regarding other psychosurgical and neuromodulation treatment options for this patient population. To our knowledge, this topic has not yet been explored in the published literature. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this paper is to review and discuss in detail the neuroethical implications of MR-guided focused ultrasound for neuropsychiatric illness as an emerging treatment modality. METHODS: Due to the lack of published literature on the topic, the approach involved a detailed survey and review of technical and medical literature relevant to focused ultrasound and established ethical issues related to alternative treatment options for patients with treatment-resistant, severe and persistent mental illness. The manuscript is structured according to thematic and topical findings. RESULTS: This technology has potential benefits for patients suffering with severe mental illness, compared with established alternatives. The balance of technical, neuroscientific and clinical considerations should inform ethical deliberations. The nascent literature base, nuances in legal classification and permissibility depending upon jurisdiction, influences of past ethical issues associated with alternative treatments, tone and framing in media articles, and complexity of clinical trials all influence ethical assessment and evaluations of multiple stakeholders. Recommendations for future research are provided based on these factors. CONCLUSION: Salient ethical inquiry should be further explored by researchers, clinicians, and ethicists in a nuanced manner methodologically, one which is informed by past and present ethical issues related to alternative treatment options, broader psychiatric treatment frameworks, pragmatic implementation challenges, intercultural considerations, and patients' ethical concerns.

A single-cell map of antisense oligonucleotide activity in the brain.

Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) dosed into cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) distribute broadly throughout the central nervous system (CNS). By modulating RNA, they hold the promise of targeting root molecular causes of disease and hold potential to treat myriad CNS disorders. Realization of this potential requires that ASOs must be active in the disease-relevant cells, and ideally, that monitorable biomarkers also reflect ASO activity in these cells. The biodistribution and activity of such centrally delivered ASOs have been deeply characterized in rodent and non-human primate (NHP) models, but usually only in bulk tissue, limiting our understanding of the distribution of ASO activity across individual cells and across diverse CNS cell types. Moreover, in human clinical trials, target engagement is usually monitorable only in a single compartment, CSF. We sought a deeper understanding of how individual cells and cell types contribute to bulk tissue signal in the CNS, and how these are linked to CSF biomarker outcomes. We employed single nucleus transcriptomics on tissue from mice treated with RNase H1 ASOs against Prnp and Malat1 and NHPs treated with an ASO against PRNP. Pharmacologic activity was observed in every cell type, though sometimes with substantial differences in magnitude. Single cell RNA count distributions implied target RNA suppression in every single sequenced cell, rather than intense knockdown in only some cells. Duration of action up to 12 weeks post-dose differed across cell types, being shorter in microglia than in neurons. Suppression in neurons was generally similar to, or more robust than, the bulk tissue. In macaques, PrP in CSF was lowered 40% in conjunction with PRNP knockdown across all cell types including neurons, arguing that a CSF biomarker readout is likely to reflect ASO pharmacodynamic effect in disease-relevant cells in a neuronal disorder. Our results provide a reference dataset for ASO activity distribution in the CNS and establish single nucleus sequencing as a method for evaluating cell type specificity of oligonucleotide therapeutics and other modalities.

Antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) drugs are a type of chemically modified DNA that can be injected into cerebrospinal fluid in order to enter brain cells and reduce the amount of RNA from a specific gene. The brain is a complex mixture of hundreds of billions of cells. When an ASO lowers a target gene's RNA by 50%, is that a 50% reduction in 100% of cells, or a 100% reduction in 50% of cells? Are the many different cell types of the brain affected equally? This new study uses single cell RNA sequencing to answer these questions, finding that ASOs are broadly active across cell types and individual cells, and linking reduction of target protein in cerebrospinal fluid to disease-relevant cells.

Clinical gene therapy development for the central nervous system: Candidates and challenges for AAVs.

Many diseases affecting the central nervous system (CNS) are deadly but less understood, leading to impaired mental and motor capabilities and poor patient prospects. Gene therapy is a promising therapeutic modality for correcting many genetic disorders, expanding in breadth and scope with further advances. This review summarizes the candidate CNS disorders for gene therapy, mechanisms of gene therapy, and recent clinical advances and limitations of gene therapy in CNS disorders. We highlight that improving delivery across CNS barriers, safety, monitoring techniques, and multiplexing therapies are predominant factors in advancing long-term outcomes from gene therapy.

Plasma exchange in inflammatory demyelinating disorders of the central nervous system: reasonable use in the clinical practice.

Plasma exchange (PLEX) is a therapeutic apheresis modality in which the plasma is separated from inflammatory factors such as circulating autoreactive immunoglobulins, the complement system, and cytokines, and its therapeutic effect is based on the removal of these mediators of pathological processes. Plasma exchange is well established for various neurological disorders, and it is applied successfully in central nervous system inflammatory demyelinating diseases (CNS-IDD). It mainly modulates the humoral immune system; thus, it has a greater theoretical effect in diseases with prominent humoral mechanisms, such as neuromyelitis optica (NMO). However, it also has a proven therapeutic effect in multiple sclerosis (MS) attacks. Several studies have suggested that patients with severe attacks of CNS-IDD have poor response to steroid therapy but show clinical improvement after the PLEX treatment. Currently, PLEX is generally established only as a rescue therapy for steroid unresponsive relapses. However, there are still research gaps in the literature regarding plasma volume, number of sessions, and how early the apheresis treatment needs to started. Thus, in the present article, we summarize the clinical studies and meta-analyses, especially about MS and NMO, outlining clinical data regarding the experience with therapeutic PLEX in severe attacks of CNS-IDD, the clinical improvement rates, the prognostic factors of a favorable response, and highlighting the likely role of the early apheresis treatment. Further, we have gathered this evidence and suggested a protocol for the treatment of CNS-IDD with PLEX in the routine clinical practice.

Plasmaférese (PLEX) é um procedimento em que o plasma é separado de fatores inflamatórios como imunoglobulinas autorreativas circulantes, sistema complemento e citocinas, e seu efeito terapêutico se baseia na remoção desses mediadores de processos patológicos. A PLEX está bem estabelecida no tratamento de diversos distúrbios neurológicos, e é utilizada com sucesso em surtos de doenças desmielinizantes inflamatórias do sistema nervoso central (CNS-IDD). A PLEX modula principalmente o sistema imunológico humoral; assim, tem efeito teórico maior em doenças com mecanismos patológicos humorais proeminentes, como a neuromielite óptica (NMO). No entanto tem também efeito terapêutico comprovado em surtos de esclerose múltipla (EM). Estudos sugerem que a corticoterapia é pouco eficaz em pacientes com surtos graves de CNS-IDD, e que estes apresentam melhora clínica após o tratamento com PLEX. Atualmente, a PLEX está geralmente estabelecida apenas como terapia de resgate para surtos não responsivos a corticosteroides. No entanto, há lacunas na literatura sobre a quantidade de troca de volume plasmático, o número de sessões, e o tempo de início da aférese terapêutica. Dessa forma, resumimos neste artigo estudos clínicos e metanálises, especialmente sobre EM e NMO, e delineamos os dados clínicos sobre a experiência com o uso de PLEX em surtos graves de CNS-IDD, as taxas de melhora clínica, os fatores prognósticos para uma resposta favorável, e destacamos o provável papel do tratamento precoce nestes casos. Em um segundo momento, reunimos essas evidências em uma sugestão de protocolo de tratamento de CNS-IDD com PLEX na prática clínica rotineira.