title: From trash to treasure: The untapped potential of endothelial microparticles in neurovascular diseases.
abstract: Discovered in 1947, microparticles (MP) represent a group of sub-micron cell-derived particles isolated by high speed centrifugation. Once regarded as cellular 'trash', in the past decade MP have gained tremendous attention in both basic sciences and medical research both as biomarkers and mediators of infection, injury and response to therapy. Because MP bear cell surface markers derived from parent cells, accumulate in extracellular fluids (plasma, serum, milk, urine, cerebrospinal fluid) MP based tests are being developed commercially as important components in 'liquid biopsy' approaches, providing valuable readouts in cardiovascular disease and cancer, as well as stroke, Alzheimer's disease and Multiple Sclerosis. Importantly, MP have been reported as mobile transport vectors in the intercellular transfer of mRNAs, microRNAs, lipids and proteins. Here we discuss MP structure, properties and functions with particular relevance to neurological and neurovascular diseases.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Molecular & Cellular Physiology, LSU Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA, United States.
authors.forename: J Winny
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Yun
authors.affiliation: Departments of Molecular & Cellular Physiology, LSU Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA, United States.
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.affiliation: Departments of Neurology, LSU Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA, United States; Department of Microbiology, Kindai University, Faculty of Medicine, 377-2 Ohnohigashi, Osakasayama, Osaka, 589-8511, Japan.
authors.forename: Ikuo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tsunoda
authors.affiliation: Departments of Neurology, LSU Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA, United States.
authors.forename: Alireza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Minagar
authors.affiliation: Departments of Molecular & Cellular Physiology, LSU Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA, United States; Departments of Neurology, LSU Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA, United States. Electronic address: jalexa@lsuhsc.edu.
authors.forename: J Steven
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Alexander
keywords: Alzheimer’s; Endothelial; Multiple sclerosis; Platelet