Brain exosomes from blood samples allow earlier diagnosis of ALS

Exosomes, microscopic packets containing genetic material, are shed by tissues into the blood. By sequencing microRNA within exosomes originating in the brain, it is now possible to definitively distinguish blood samples of ALS patients from healthy controls, a team of researchers at the Brain Chemistry Labs announced today in Open Biology. ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that typically affects people in the prime of their life.