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Transcriptomic analysis reveals that neural stem cell-derived exosomes regulate the HMGB1/TLR2 signaling axis to promote astrocytic differentiation and mitochondrial biogenesis in the repair of radiation-induced blood-brain barrier damage.

Overview

Authors: Fanrui Zeng1, Yalei Zhang2, Yun Zhou1, Zichen Ma3, Chenghao Li4, Guohua Yao5, Rong Li1
ORCID iDs: Rong Li
  1. Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
  2. Department of Thoracic Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
  3. Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
  4. Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, China
  5. Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
Journal: Cell death discovery, volume 12, issue 1, article 373
Dates: received 17 August 2025; accepted 1 July 2026; published online 25 July 2026
Type: Research article · Language: English
License: CC BY
Identifiers: DOI 10.1038/s41420-026-03250-4 · PMID 42736277 · PMCID PMC13575103 · OpenAlex W7171194301
Open access: gold, a free copy (OpenAlex)
Status: data only
Categories: genetics / omics (modality), cellular / molecular (subfield)
Methods: Statistics, Machine learning, Evoked potentials, Connectivity, Graphs
Keywords: Blood-brain barrier, Molecular biology
Topic: Extracellular vesicles in disease (Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology), according to OpenAlex
Citations: not cited yet (Europe PMC); 51 references in the paper

Abstract

Radiation-induced brain injury (RBI) is frequently associated with blood–brain barrier (BBB) disruption, which contributes to poor prognosis. Neural stem cell-derived exosomes (NSC-Exo) have recently attracted attention as mediators of intercellular communication with potential roles in tissue repair. However, how NSC-Exo promote BBB recovery after RBI remains unclear. This study explored whether NSC-Exo restore BBB function by regulating the HMGB1/TLR signaling pathway, thereby promoting endogenous NSC differentiation toward astrocytes and enhancing mitochondrial biogenesis. A rat RBI model was established and treated with NSC-Exo. Molecular marker analysis, transcriptomic profiling, and BBB functional assessment were performed to clarify the underlying mechanisms. The results showed that NSC-Exo enhanced NSC stemness and astrocytic differentiation, improved mitochondrial function, and reduced ROS accumulation. NSC-Exo also suppressed HMGB1/TLR2 pathway activation and promoted BBB repair. Functional experiments further indicated that HMGB1 overexpression weakened the protective effects of NSC-Exo, whereas TLR2 knockdown reversed this effect. In conclusion, NSC-Exo facilitate endogenous NSC remodeling and BBB restoration after RBI, at least partly through regulation of the HMGB1/TLR2 axis, providing a potential strategy for RBI treatment.

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

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Data

Datasets cited

Data availability

The RNA-seq data generated in this study have been deposited in the NCBI BioProject database under accession number PRJNA1463563 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bioproject/PRJNA1463563). The full, uncropped original western blot images are included in the Supplementary Material. All other data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this article and/or its supplementary material files. Further enquiries can be directed to the corresponding author.

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

Versions

The history of this record: each version stored by the harvester or made by a correction of its authors or of the maintainers of its code, and what changed in its facts. The texts of the paper (its abstract, its availability statements) are not part of it; versions that changed only those are not listed.

Version 1, 27 September 2026: the first record

Recorded: type, language, journal, volume, issue, pages, dates, 7 authors, 2 keywords, 51 references.

Cite

This paper

Zeng, F., Zhang, Y., Zhou, Y., Ma, Z., Li, C., Yao, G., & Li, R. (2026). Transcriptomic analysis reveals that neural stem cell-derived exosomes regulate the HMGB1/TLR2 signaling axis to promote astrocytic differentiation and mitochondrial biogenesis in the repair of radiation-induced blood-brain barrier damage. Cell death discovery, 12(1), 373. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41420-026-03250-4

BibTeX

@article{zeng2026transcriptomic,
author = {Zeng, Fanrui and Zhang, Yalei and Zhou, Yun and Ma, Zichen and Li, Chenghao and Yao, Guohua and Li, Rong},
title = {{Transcriptomic analysis reveals that neural stem cell-derived exosomes regulate the HMGB1/TLR2 signaling axis to promote astrocytic differentiation and mitochondrial biogenesis in the repair of radiation-induced blood-brain barrier damage}},
journal = {Cell death discovery},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
volume = {12},
number = {1},
pages = {373},
publisher = {Nature Publishing Group},
issn = {2058-7716},
doi = {10.1038/s41420-026-03250-4},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41420-026-03250-4},
pmid = {42736277},
pmcid = {PMC13575103}
}

RIS

TY - JOUR
AU - Zeng, Fanrui
AU - Zhang, Yalei
AU - Zhou, Yun
AU - Ma, Zichen
AU - Li, Chenghao
AU - Yao, Guohua
AU - Li, Rong
TI - Transcriptomic analysis reveals that neural stem cell-derived exosomes regulate the HMGB1/TLR2 signaling axis to promote astrocytic differentiation and mitochondrial biogenesis in the repair of radiation-induced blood-brain barrier damage
T2 - Cell death discovery
J2 - Cell Death Discov
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/25
VL - 12
IS - 1
SP - 373
SN - 2058-7716
PB - Nature Publishing Group
DO - 10.1038/s41420-026-03250-4
UR - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41420-026-03250-4
LA - en
ER -

CSL-JSON

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