Isolation of Extracellular Vesicles Using a Weak Anion Exchange Functionalized Nanofiber Matrix
Published date: 11 June 2024
Isolation of Extracellular Vesicles Using a Novel Nanofiber Matrix
In the cutting-edge field of regenerative medicine, extracellular vesicles (EVs), including exosomes, show much promise as gene delivery vehicles and the isolation and purification of EVs plays a crucial role in their development. Our R&D team at Astrea Bioseparations have introduced a groundbreaking approach using a weak anion exchange functionalized membrane capsule, known as ExoHERO®, which incorporates the unique electrospun composite nanofiber AstreAdept® membrane.
Innovative Methodology
The isolation process utilizes mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and HEK 293 cell cultures, where EVs are harvested, clarified, and diafiltered into Phosphate Buffered Saline (PBS). This method ensures mild processing conditions to maintain the integrity and functionality of these delicate lipid bilayer structures.
Key Findings
The study demonstrates that this novel chromatography capsule:
- Achieves high recovery and high purity of EVs, enhancing scalability and efficiency
- Minimizes damage and aggregation of EVs, a critical aspect often overlooked in traditional methods
Breakthrough and Capacity
The primary capture from mesenchymal cells and HEK 293 cells shows that EVs can be isolated effectively using the ExoHERO® capsule. For instance, MSC EVs showed about 50% recovery with a significant 1.8-fold increase in purity, while HEK 293 EVs displayed a notable recovery and purity improvement compared to strong anion exchange methods.
Biophysical Characterization
Using tools like ExoView and nanoFCM, the researchers analyzed the tetraspanin profiles pre- and post-chromatography, confirming that this new purification method does not selectively isolate a sub-population of EVs but maintains a consistent profile.
Conclusion
This research highlights the applicability of ExoHERO® for the purification of EVs, showing promising results that could lead to greater availability of purified EVs and more effective therapies. The additional optimization of buffer pH and elution conditions suggests further potential to enhance the purification process.
For more detailed insights into this innovative research, you can see the full poster here.