Protocol for SEC-based isolation and characterization of human plasma-derived extracellular vesicles

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are gaining increasing attention among studies focusing on biomarker research, elucidating disease mechanisms, and exploring therapeutic approaches. Here, we present a method for size-exclusion chromatography (SEC)-based enrichment of human plasma EVs, and describe steps for assessing the quality of obtained EV samples. For characterizing the EVs, we provide detailed procedures for western blot, transmission electron microscopy, and nanoparticle tracking analysis techniques.