Extracellular vesicles selective capture by peptide-functionalized hollow fiber membranes

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Membrane Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are crucial in disease pathology, yet isolating specific EV populations remains difficult.
• Current methods struggle with separating pure EVs from complex biological fluids.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a peptide-functionalized hollow fiber (HF) membrane module for efficient separation and enrichment of extracellular vesicles (EVs).
• To optimize EV isolation using a tangential flow filtration (TFF) process integrated with the functionalized membrane.

Main Methods:

• Functionalization of polysulfone (PSf) HF membranes with a peptide (BPt) that binds to curved nanovesicles.
• Modification of HF membranes with a copoly azide polymer coating to reduce non-specific binding and enable peptide conjugation via click chemistry.
• Integration of the BPt-functionalized HF module into a TFF system for EV isolation.

Main Results:

• The system selectively captured EVs (<200 nm) while removing contaminants like albumin (93% removal).
• Isolated EVs expressed common markers (CD63, CD81, CD9, syntenin-1) and maintained structural integrity.
• The process demonstrated low shear stress, high purity, and reproducibility in EV isolation.

Conclusions:

• Peptide-functionalized HF membranes integrated with TFF offer a robust method for high-purity EV isolation.
• This approach facilitates the concentration and purification of EVs for diagnostic and therapeutic applications.
• The method effectively removes contaminants, preserving EV integrity and function.