Biochimica et biophysica acta. Molecular basis of diseaseJun 28, 2025

Multiple roles of tiny cell particles in brain inflammation and neurodegenerative diseases

Updated Feb 18, 2026

Abstract

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are recognized for their role in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.

EVs are key mediators of communication within the central nervous system (CNS).
In vivo studies show that EVs maintain CNS homeostasis and modulate neuroinflammatory responses.
EVs influence tissue repair and regeneration following injury, potentially impacting disease progression.
Their small size and ability to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) make EVs promising candidates for biomarkers and therapeutics.
The review highlights the complex contributions of EVs to neuroinflammation and their potential roles in neurodegenerative diseases.

Simplified

Despite advances in understanding neurodegenerative disease mechanisms, effective treatments remain elusive. Extracellular vesicles (EVs), key mediators of intercellular communication within the central nervous system (CNS), are increasingly recognized for their involvement in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), multiple sclerosis (MS) and Huntington's disease (HD). In vivo studies demonstrate EVs' crucial role in maintaining CNS homeostasis, modulating neuroinflammatory responses, and influencing tissue repair and regeneration following injury, thereby impacting disease progression and recovery. Their unique properties, including small size and ability to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB), position them as promising candidates for both biomarkers and therapeutics in CNS diseases. This review delves into the significant impact of neuroinflammation on neurodegenerative conditions, specifically focusing on the multifaceted contributions of EVs and their intricate interplay with the inflammatory landscape. We explore EV biogenesis, cargo composition, diverse roles in neuroinflammation (including intercellular communication and neuroprotection), their potential as biomarkers and drug delivery vehicles across the BBB for diagnosis or treatment of neuroinflammation implemented neurodegenerative diseases.

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Competing interests

Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Zhengqiang YUAN reports financial support was provided by National Natural Science Foundation of China. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

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Competing interests

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