Wasteosomes (corpora amylacea) of the human brain accumulate in CD44-positive astrocytes.

Overview

Authors: Marina Sartorio^1,2,3, Marta Riba^1,2,3, Carme Pelegrí^1,2,3, Jordi Vilaplana^1,2,3, James E Goldman⁴

Secció de Fisiologia, Departament de Bioquímica i Fisiologia, Facultat de Farmàcia i Ciències de l’Alimentació, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
Institut de Neurociències (UBNeuro), Universitat de Barcelona, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
Centros de Biomedicina en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), 28031 Madrid, Spain
Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, 630 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA

Institutions: Biomedical Research Networking Center on Neurodegenerative Diseases (Spain); Universitat de Barcelona (Spain); Columbia University (United States)

Journal: iScience, volume 29, issue 5, article 115687

Dates: received 10 September 2025; accepted 8 April 2026; published online 9 April 2026

Type: Research article · Language: English

License: CC BY-NC

Identifiers: DOI 10.1016/j.isci.2026.115687 · PMID 42111180 · PMCID PMC13157177 · OpenAlex W7152467451

Open access: gold, a free copy (OpenAlex)

Status: code on request

Categories: human (organism), cellular / molecular (subfield)

Methods: fMRI & imaging

Keywords: Health sciences, Medicine, Neurology, Biological sciences, Neuroscience, Clinical neuroscience

Topic: Neurogenesis and neuroplasticity mechanisms (Developmental Neuroscience, Neuroscience), according to OpenAlex

Funding: Gobierno de España Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (PID2020-115475GB-I00, PID2024-159003OB-I00); Generalitat de Catalunya (2021 SGR 00288 625); European Regional Development Fund

Citations: not cited yet (Europe PMC); 78 references in the paper

Research resources: Mouse monoclonal IgG1 against CD44 RRID:AB_10981151, AF488 goat anti-chicken IgY RRID:AB_2534096, AF555 goat anti-mouse IgG1 RRID:AB_2535769, AF488 goat anti-mouse IgG2a RRID:AB_2535771, AF647 goat anti-chicken IgY RRID:AB_2866500, Mouse monoclonal IgG2a against p62 RRID:AB_945626

Abstract

Wasteosomes or corpora amylacea are polyglucosan inclusions that accumulate in the human central nervous system during aging and in several neurodegenerative diseases. They are formed in astrocytes, act as waste containers, and can be released into the cerebrospinal fluid. In the present study, we hypothesized that CD44-positive astrocytes are the cells that harbor these structures. Brain tissue samples from non-diseased and diseased cases were analyzed by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. Across multiple brain regions, wasteosomes were exclusively found in areas where astrocytes were CD44-positive. Notably, GFAP-positive astrocytic filaments are observed between the wasteosomes and the CD44 membrane receptor, supporting that the wasteosome-containing astrocytes are CD44-positive. In addition, some wasteosomes observed in the subarachnoid space contained CD44 remnants adhered to their surface. These findings identify CD44-positive astrocytes as the principal cellular niche for wasteosomes. The possible roles of CD44 in wasteosome biogenesis and release are discussed, opening the way for future studies.

Reproduced under the paper's license (CC BY-NC), from the paper cited above.

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All data reported in this paper will be shared by the lead contact upon request.

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Unedited images corresponding to the different figures in this article have been deposited at CORA.RDR at https://doi.org/10.34810/data3083 and are publicly available as of the date of publication.

Reproduced under the paper's license (CC BY-NC), from the paper cited above.

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Version 1, 29 September 2026: the first record

Recorded: type, language, journal, volume, issue, pages, dates, 5 authors, 6 keywords, 3 funders, 76 references, 6 RRIDs.

Cite

This paper

Sartorio, M., Riba, M., Pelegrí, C., Vilaplana, J., & Goldman, J. E. (2026). Wasteosomes (corpora amylacea) of the human brain accumulate in CD44-positive astrocytes. iScience, 29(5), 115687. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2026.115687

BibTeX

@article{sartorio2026wasteosomes, author = {Sartorio, Marina and Riba, Marta and Pelegrí, Carme and Vilaplana, Jordi and Goldman, James E}, title = {{Wasteosomes (corpora amylacea) of the human brain accumulate in CD44-positive astrocytes}}, journal = {iScience}, year = {2026}, month = apr, volume = {29}, number = {5}, pages = {115687}, publisher = {Elsevier}, issn = {2589-0042}, doi = {10.1016/j.isci.2026.115687}, url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2026.115687}, pmid = {42111180}, pmcid = {PMC13157177} }

RIS

TY - JOUR AU - Sartorio, Marina AU - Riba, Marta AU - Pelegrí, Carme AU - Vilaplana, Jordi AU - Goldman, James E TI - Wasteosomes (corpora amylacea) of the human brain accumulate in CD44-positive astrocytes T2 - iScience J2 - iScience PY - 2026 DA - 2026/04/09 VL - 29 IS - 5 SP - 115687 SN - 2589-0042 PB - Elsevier DO - 10.1016/j.isci.2026.115687 UR - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2026.115687 LA - en ER -

CSL-JSON

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