Biologists have discovered unusual microscopic vesicles that originate from astrocytes. According to a study published in the journal Cell Reports, these structures have been named “zombosomes” because they can move independently like cells, despite lacking a nucleus (the cell’s control center).
Scientists at Uppsala University have determined that these subcellular units are not merely passive carriers. Specialized software confirmed that zombosomes move freely. They possess a membrane and the structural protein vimentin, which helps them perform complex maneuvers. Furthermore, they contain intact mitochondria—organelles that provide the chemical energy necessary for the zombosomes’ movement.
The study also revealed a dangerous side to zombosomes: they carry aggregates of alpha-synuclein. This is a toxic protein that forms Lewy bodies in Parkinson’s disease. Scientists observed how zombosomes transport this “harmful cargo” from astrocytes to neurons, explaining how pathological processes spread throughout the brain.
Some biologists believe that zombosomes might be a variant of previously known “blebbisomes”—so-called mobile vesicles secreted by other cell types. However, another group of scientists argues that their astrocytic origin and unique ability to transport pathological proteins make zombosomes a distinct and significant phenomenon.
Regardless of the debate over the name, researchers agree that this discovery opens a new path for studying the mechanisms of brain diseases.
