Table 2 Currently available methods for the isolation and purification of Exo
From: Applications, challenges and prospects of mesenchymal stem cell exosomes in regenerative medicine
Method | Advantage | Disadvantage |
|---|---|---|
Sequential ultracentrifugation | Low cost/contamination rate, approximate for large-volume samples | Time-consuming, Damage to exosomal integrity, genomic and proteomic aggregation, expensive equipment, the existence of other extracellular vesicles |
Gradient ultracentrifugation | High-rate Exo purity, fractioning of extracellular vesicles into different subsets, large-volume samples | Time-consuming, mechanical damage to exosomal integrity, expensive equipment |
Size exclusion chromatography | High-rate purification of Exo, suitable for Exo isolation without any damages, Fast and precise | Expensive equipment, the multi-step isolation procedure |
Ultrafiltration | Fast and precise, relatively low cost | Damage to Exo, loss of Exo in samples, low to moderate purity |
Polymer precipitation | High-rate purity, applicable for both small- and large-sized samples | Polymer contamination, protein aggregation, multi-step preparation, time-consuming |
Immunoaffinity | Applicable for isolation of distinct Exo subpopulation, High-rate purity, Easy to use | Expensive, applicable for low-sized samples, the possibility of Exo damage, low-content Exo yield |
Microfluidics | High-rate Exo purity, cost-effective | Applicable for low-sized samples |