Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 13, 2026
Isolation, Characterization, and Therapeutic Application of Extracellular Vesicles from Cultured Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Published on: September 23, 2022
Comparative evaluation of ultracentrifugation and PEG-based precipitation of mesenchymal stem cell‑derived
Aishwarya Sivakumar1, Vijayalakshmi Kumaravel1, Senthamizh Gopal1
1Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science and Humanities, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, India.
Aim:
The isolation efficiency of extracellular vesicles (EVs) is essential to ensure their purity and biological properties. Ultracentrifugation is a traditional method which utilizes high centrifugal forces to separate EVs based on their density. The polyethylene glycol (PEG)-based precipitation method is a scalable and cost-efficient alternative to ultracentrifugation. In this study, two popular techniques used for the isolation of EVs from umbilical cord tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UCT-MSCs): ultracentrifugation and polyethylene glycol PEG-based precipitation methods are examined.
Materials And Methods:
The UCT-MSCs were cultured in a xeno-free environment using human platelet lysate (hPL) to avoid the risk of xenogenic contamination. The MSCs and EVs were characterized to confirm their physical and functional properties. Cytotoxicity was analyzed in both normal and cancer cells, and the cell migration assay was conducted on cancer cells treated with the EVs to examine the biocompatibility and migratory effects.
Results And Conclusions:
The similarity in physical, molecular, and functional characterization of UC-EVs and PEG-EVs suggests that PEG-based precipitation maintained the integrity and biological properties of EVs. Overall, the PEG-based precipitation method for EVs isolation is safe and efficient, making them suitable for regeneration and cancer research.
