HEALTHY VERSUS PATHOLOGICAL AGING: ROLE OF EXOSOME-DERIVED NON CODING RNAS AND INFLAMMATORY TRANSCRIPTS IN FRAILTY AND DEMENTIA (DSB.AD004.297)

Thematic area

Biomedical sciences

Project area

Structure responsible for the research project

Institute of neuroscience (IN)

Project manager

CLAUDIA VERDERIO
Phone number: 0250317098
Email: claudia.verderio@in.cnr.it

Abstract

Chronic inflammation and immune activation are involved the frailty syndrome and the development of cognitive decline in
elderly people.
However, no inflammatory molecules or non coding (nc)RNAs have been identified as clinically-used prognostic or
diagnostic biomarkers of frailty and dementia.
Our working hypothesis is that exosomes, and their RNA cargo, could be a promising source of clinical and prognostic
biomarkers for frailty and dementia. We plan to analyze i) the concentration of total exosomes and of neural derived
exosomes (NDEs) and microglial derived exosomes (MDEs) in plasma from patients with frailty and cognitive decline ii) the
possible detrimental action of NDEs/MDEs on hippocampal neurons in primary cultures iii) the diagnostic and prognostic
value of RNAs species in total exosomes, NDEs and MDEs.
We will take advantage of a multidisciplinary team with proven expertise in circulating biomarkers, molecular mechanisms of neurodegeneration and extracellular vesicles.

Goals

-

Start date of activity

20/11/2019

Keywords

exosomes, dementia, inflammation

Last update: 19/04/2025