Collection of Naturally Released Exosomes from Tumor Tissue

As vesicles secreted by cells, exosomes enclose and transfer various nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids, and participate in communication between different cells. Exosomes in the tumor microenvironment play an important role in the biological characteristics of tumor cells and can strongly influence the states of other cells. Therefore, to further study the specific functions of exosomes in the development of tumors, it is undoubtedly necessary to extract and isolate exosomes from tumor tissues. Direct extraction of exosomes from tumor tissue reduces the need for in vitro cell culture, and exosomes from tumor tissue may be more similar to those in the natural state. Therefore, maintaining the natural state of exosomes in tumor tissue is the key to the extraction process. Enzymatic digestion is often combined with ultracentrifugation to extract exosomes from tumor tissues. Here, we provide a novel method to extract exosomes from tumor tissue. We used a serum-free medium to incubate small tumor tissue pieces on a shaking table, repeatedly collected and extracted exosomes naturally released from tumor tissue, and identified the extracted exosome structure, concentration, and characteristics, providing a new method for researchers studying the function of exosomes in tumor development.