Micro-RNAs (miRNAs) are small endogenous noncoding ribonucleic acids that modulate gene expression at a post-transcriptional level. miRNAs have been postulated as potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets in a wide list of human diseases including cancer, autoimmune, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative diseases. miRNAs are secreted by the cells into exosomes. These are small cell-derived membrane vesicles that can be isolated from many body fluids including urine, saliva, blood, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Exosomes contain a variety of proteins and noncoding RNAs and seem to play an important role in cell-cell communication and the regulation of immune response and other body functions. In this chapter, we will discuss the sequential procedure to characterize the miRNA profile in exosome-enriched CSF samples.
Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; Cerebrospinal fluid; Exosomes; Micro-RNAs.