Now, investigators at the Scripps Research Institute have published new data showing that exosomes are not only integral to the development of neurons and neural circuits, but they can restore health to brain cells affected by developmental disease. Findings from the new study were published recently in PNAS through an article titled, “Exosomes regulate neurogenesis and circuit assembly" https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2019/07/17/1902513116
Amazingly, the researchers also tested whether adding healthy exosomes to a culture-dish model of Rett syndrome would provide a therapeutic effect. It did.
“That was perhaps our most exciting finding: that exosomes from healthy cells can indeed rescue neurodevelopmental deficiencies in cells with Rett syndrome,” Cline remarked. “We see this as very promising because of the many neurodevelopmental disorders in need of a treatment. These are disorders for which we already have a deep understanding of the underlying gene deficiencies but are still lacking a therapy to address the disease itself.”