Dear Colleagues,

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have recently come to the forefront of neuroscience as novel vehicles for the transmission of complex signals between neuronal cells. EVs are membrane-bound carriers packed with proteins, metabolites, and nucleic acids (including DNA, mRNA, and microRNAs) that contain the elements present in the cell they originate from. Since their discovery, EVs have been studied extensively and have opened up new understandings of communication. They may cross the blood–brain barrier (BBB) in a bidirectional way from the bloodstream and brain parenchyma and vice versa, as well as playing a key role in brain–periphery communication in both physiology and pathology. EVs are heterogeneous vesicle membranes that, based on their biogenesis, can be divided into three categories—exosomes, microvesicles, and apoptotic bodies—and are secreted by all cells under both physiological and pathological conditions. EVs can be found in many body fluids and enclose membrane and cytosolic components, such as proteins, lipids, and many RNAs, including microRNAs and other non-coding RNA species with regulatory properties. EVs represent the fingerprints of their originating cells and can carry a variety of molecular constituents of their cell of origin, including microRNAs or bioactive compounds. This Special Issue focuses on recent findings pertaining to EV biogenesis, characterization of EV cargo, and the role of EVs in the brain, both in healthy and diseased brains.

We invite researchers to contribute either original research or review articles focusing on every aspect regarding the role and function of EVs shed in brain cells both in healthy and pathological conditions.

This collection welcomes original research, review, mini review, and perspectives focusing on extracellular vesicles in the brain both in healthy and diseased brains. Areas of interest could include but are not limited to:

• Extracellular vesicles released by brain cells (neurons, microglia, astrocytes, etc.);
• miRNA cargo of extracellular vesicles;
• Bioactive compound cargo of extracellular vesicles;
• Extracellular vesicles as biomarkers in neurodegenerative diseases;
• Role of extracellular vesicles in neurodegenerative diseases;
• Role of extracellular vesicles in the central nervous system;
• Extracellular vesicles and the blood–brain barrier.

Prof. Dr. Chiara Porro
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Brain Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• extracellular vesicles
• exosomes
• microvesicles
• biomarkers
• neurodegenerative diseases
• miRNA
• microglia