Home › Research › Mild cognitive impairment
Profiling characteristics of plasma exosomal miRNAs across cognitive stages: from normalcy to mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease
Xi Chen, Silu Chen, Liangliang Chen, Hong Zheng, Jing Nie, Lingyan Yang, Xia Li, Kang Ju. RSC Advances, 2025-01-01
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
The rising global prevalence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) underscores the urgent need to elucidate their underlying pathogenic mechanisms. This study investigated the dynamic alterations of plasma-derived exosomal miRNAs across the cognitive spectrum from normal cognition (NC) through MCI to AD, and their potential pathogenetic implications. Here, we enrolled 10 AD patients, 9 MCI patients, and 10 normal cognitive (NC) patients rigorously diagnosed using amyloid PET imaging, cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers, and standardized neuropsychological assessments. Serum exosomes were isolated and identified, then small RNA sequencing was performed. The results revealed distinct exosomal miRNA expression profiles across disease stages, with 10 conserved miRNAs showing progressive dysregulation along the NC-MCI-AD continuum. Target gene prediction formed numerous miRNA-mRNA pairs. GO and KEGG enrichment indicated that exosomal miRNAs might affect cognitive decline by regulating neurodevelopment and cell senescence. Strikingly, ROC analysis demonstrated superior diagnostic performance for miR-151a-3p and miR-210-3p in distinguishing disease states. Our findings not only characterize stage-specific exosomal miRNA signatures during AD progression but also identify novel circulating biomarkers with diagnostic potential. This work provides mechanistic insights into exosome-mediated pathological processes and advances the development of liquid biopsy approaches for early detection and therapeutic monitoring in neurodegenerative diseases.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Chen, X., Chen, S., Chen, L., Zheng, H., Nie, J., Yang, L., et al. (2025). Profiling characteristics of plasma exosomal miRNAs across cognitive stages: from normalcy to mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease. RSC Advances. https://doi.org/10.1039/d5ra02993g
Vancouver
Chen X, Chen S, Chen L, Zheng H, Nie J, Yang L, et al. Profiling characteristics of plasma exosomal miRNAs across cognitive stages: from normalcy to mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease. RSC Advances. 2025. doi:10.1039/d5ra02993g. PMID: 40630682.
BibTeX
@article{chen2025-40630682,
author = {Chen, Xi and Chen, Silu and Chen, Liangliang and Zheng, Hong and Nie, Jing and Yang, Lingyan and Li, Xia and Ju, Kang},
title = {{Profiling characteristics of plasma exosomal miRNAs across cognitive stages: from normalcy to mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease}},
journal = {RSC Advances},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1039/d5ra02993g},
pmid = {40630682},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1039/d5ra02993g}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record names 8 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- The results revealed distinct exosomal miRNA expression profiles across disease stages, with 10 conserved miRNAs showing progressive dysregulation along the NC-MCI-AD continuum.
- GO and KEGG enrichment indicated that exosomal miRNAs might affect cognitive decline by regulating neurodevelopment and cell senescence.
- Strikingly, ROC analysis demonstrated superior diagnostic performance for miR-151a-3p and miR-210-3p in distinguishing disease states.
- Our findings not only characterize stage-specific exosomal miRNA signatures during AD progression but also identify novel circulating biomarkers with diagnostic potential.
Why it matters
This small study of 10 Alzheimer's patients, 9 MCI patients, and 10 normal controls found distinct exosomal miRNA profiles across disease stages, with two miRNAs showing superior diagnostic performance. The findings identify potential circulating biomarkers for diagnosis, but the sample is small and no treatment was tested.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 39/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on senior author's track record, so that was left out: it earned 37 of the 96 points we could judge it on, which is 39 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (RSC Advances) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | RSC Advances: journal h-index 286 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 2 / 7 | Cited 5 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 1 / 5 | 1.7 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 1.3× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 5 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | East China Normal University: institution h-index 506 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40630682) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Points | 37 / 96 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 37 of the 96 points we could judge it on is 39 out of 100. |
| Total | 39 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Related studies in Mild cognitive impairment
Also tagged “precursor”
1,339 studies in the library carry the topic tag “precursor”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 1,339 tagged studies.