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Overview of Exosomes

Overview of Exosomes

Exosomes are stable, lipid bilayer-enclosed vesicles capable of crossing biological barriers. They can carry a wide range of molecules required for intercellular communication. Once exosomes are released from the cell where they originated, they enter a recipient cell through various pathways such as fusion, receptor-mediated endocytosis, macropinocytosis, and phagocytosis.
Stahl et al. discovered exosomes in 1983, but the exosomes were initially considered waste products released from the...

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Updated: Aug 1, 2025

Protein Digestion, Ultrafiltration, and Size Exclusion Chromatography to Optimize the Isolation of Exosomes from Human Blood Plasma and Serum

Protein Digestion, Ultrafiltration, and Size Exclusion Chromatography to Optimize the Isolation of Exosomes from Human Blood Plasma and Serum

Published on: April 13, 2018

Exploring Purification Methods of Exosomes from Different Biological Samples.

Xiaoqing Qian^1,2, Feng Xie³, Daxiang Cui²

¹School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.

Biomed Research International

|May 1, 2023

Summary

Human breast milk yields abundant exosomes, making it a promising source for biological applications. This study compared various exosome extraction methods across different sample types.

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Protein Digestion, Ultrafiltration, and Size Exclusion Chromatography to Optimize the Isolation of Exosomes from Human Blood Plasma and Serum

Protein Digestion, Ultrafiltration, and Size Exclusion Chromatography to Optimize the Isolation of Exosomes from Human Blood Plasma and Serum

Published on: April 13, 2018

Isolation and Profiling of MicroRNA-containing Exosomes from Human Bile

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Published on: June 13, 2016

Isolation and Characterization of RNA-Containing Exosomes

Isolation and Characterization of RNA-Containing Exosomes

Published on: January 9, 2012

Area of Science:

Biochemistry
Cell Biology
Biotechnology

Background:

Exosomes are crucial nanoscale extracellular vesicles involved in intercellular communication.
Efficient extraction of exosomes from diverse biological sources is essential for their therapeutic and diagnostic applications.
Current methods for exosome isolation vary in efficiency and suitability for different sample types.

Purpose of the Study:

To evaluate and compare the effectiveness of different exosome extraction and purification methods.
To identify the optimal biological sample source for exosome isolation.
To characterize exosomes derived from various biological sources.

Main Methods:

Exosomes were isolated from gastric cancer cell supernatant, human serum, urine, and breast milk using methods including ExoQuick-TC, ultrafiltration, ultracentrifugation, diafiltration, and filtration-polyethylene glycol precipitation.
Morphological analysis was performed using transmission electron microscopy.
Particle size distribution was determined by NanoSight analysis.
Protein expression (CD9, TSG101) was assessed via western blotting.

Main Results:

Exosomes isolated from all sources exhibited typical cup-shaped morphology.
Exosome sizes varied: 65.8 ± 26.9 nm (gastric cancer cells), 87.6 ± 50.9 nm (serum), 197.5 ± 55.2 nm (urine), and 184.1 ± 68.7 nm (breast milk).
Exosome abundance was significantly higher in serum, urine, and breast milk compared to cell supernatant.
Exosome markers CD9 and TSG101 were detected with varying expression levels.

Conclusions:

Human breast milk is identified as a highly abundant and potential source for exosome extraction.
The study provides insights into optimizing exosome isolation strategies based on sample type.
Different biological samples yield exosomes with distinct characteristics and abundance, influencing their suitability for various applications.