EV-Lev: extracellular vesicle isolation from human plasma using microfluidic magnetic levitation device.

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Nanotechnology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Extracellular nanovesicles (EVs) are vital for cell communication but challenging to isolate due to size and density variations.
• Existing isolation methods struggle with the subtle characteristics of small EVs (<200 nm).

Purpose of the Study:

• To present EV-Lev, a microfluidic magnetic levitation technique for high-throughput, selective isolation of small EVs from human plasma.
• To enable rapid, simultaneous sorting of EV subpopulations based on surface markers.

Main Methods:

• Utilized antibody-coated polymer beads with varying densities for immuno-affinity capture.
• Integrated microfluidics with magnetic levitation for EV isolation from sub-milliliter plasma volumes.
• Employed magnetic levitation to overcome buoyancy challenges associated with small EVs.

Main Results:

• Achieved high-throughput and selective isolation of small EVs (<200 nm).
• Demonstrated efficient sorting of EV subpopulations based on CD9, CD63, and CD81 surface markers with high yield and purity.
• Confirmed structural integrity of isolated EVs through size and morphology analyses.

Conclusions:

• EV-Lev offers a portable, cost-effective, and straightforward method for EV isolation and subpopulation sorting.
• This technique can advance the discovery of disease-associated EV subpopulations and biomarkers in samples.
• Facilitates understanding of EV cargo and function in diseases like cancer and infectious diseases.