{"id":3350,"date":"2025-12-22T15:07:02","date_gmt":"2025-12-22T14:07:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.centrodinoferrari.com\/senza-categoria\/il-cervello-in-una-goccia-al-via-una-nuova-linea-di-ricerca-sulle-vescicole-extracellulari-per-la-ricerca-sullalzheimer\/"},"modified":"2026-03-24T11:25:15","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T10:25:15","slug":"il-cervello-in-una-goccia-al-via-una-nuova-linea-di-ricerca-sulle-vescicole-extracellulari-per-la-ricerca-sullalzheimer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.centrodinoferrari.com\/en\/dal-centro\/il-cervello-in-una-goccia-al-via-una-nuova-linea-di-ricerca-sulle-vescicole-extracellulari-per-la-ricerca-sullalzheimer\/","title":{"rendered":"The brain in a drop: a new research line on extracellular vesicles for Alzheimer\u2019s studies launched thanks to REPOWER funding"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

UA new project dedicated to the study of extracellular vesicles<\/strong> as potential biomarkers<\/strong> for Alzheimer\u2019s disease<\/strong> has been launched at our “Centro Dino Ferrari”<\/strong> of the University of Milan \u2013 Policlinico Hospital of Milan<\/strong>. Its initiation was made possible thanks to the valuable support from REPOWER<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The study, coordinated by Dr. Andrea Arighi<\/strong>, aims to use these vesicles as biomarkers<\/strong> to detect the disease in its early stages, monitor its progression, and, in the future, enable more targeted interventions for a condition as widespread as it is debilitating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alzheimer\u2019s disease<\/strong> is indeed one of the most painful and widespread challenges of our time (Scheltens et al., 2021). It affects millions of people worldwide, erasing memories, relationships, and identity<\/strong> \u2014 and leaves a deep mark on those who remain close, including families, caregivers, and society as a whole, which confronts the fragility of memory and time every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet, behind this loss, research continues to seek new paths to restore hope<\/strong>, to understand what happens in the brain\u2019s invisible circuits, and to find ways to halt, or at least slow, the process that leads to the disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, that hope passes through something infinitely small: extracellular vesicles<\/strong>, microscopic particles released by every cell in our body to communicate with others (Sigdel Set al., 2023).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Within each vesicle lie fragments of information \u2014 proteins, lipids, RNA<\/strong> \u2014 reflecting the state of the cell from which they originate. In the blood<\/strong> and even in saliva<\/strong>, these vesicles carry messages that reach the brain<\/strong> and originate from it: tiny traces of neuronal activity<\/strong>, signs of inflammation<\/strong>, or cellular stress<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Analyzing them allows for a sort of \u201cliquid brain biopsy<\/strong>,\u201d capable of revealing what is happening in the nervous system without invasive procedures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A single drop of blood<\/strong> or saliva<\/strong> can therefore contain valuable clues about the brain\u2019s health<\/strong> \u2014 the brain in a drop<\/strong>, so to speak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The project, launched within the “Centro Dino Ferrari<\/strong><\/strong>” at the Fondazione IRCCS Ca\u2019 Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico of Milan<\/strong>, explores this new biological language<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The goal is to transform extracellular vesicles<\/strong> into diagnostic and therapeutic keys<\/strong> for Alzheimer\u2019s disease<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n