ExoCAS-2: Rapid and Pure Isolation of Exosomes by Anionic Exchange Using Magnetic Beads

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are considered essential biomarkers in liquid biopsies. Despite intensive efforts aimed at employing EVs in a clinical setting, workable approaches are currently limited owing to the fact that EV-isolation technologies are still in a nascent stage. This study introduces a magnetic bead-based ion exchange platform for isolating EVs called ExoCAS-2 (exosome clustering and scattering). Owing to their negative charge, exosomes can easily adhere to magnetic beads coated with a polycationic polymer. Owing to the features of magnetic beads, exosomes can be easily processed via washing and elution steps and isolated with high purity and yield within 40 min. The present results confirmed the isolation of exosomes through analyses of size distribution, morphology, surface and internal protein markers, and exosomal RNA. Compared with the commercially available methods, the proposed method showed superior performance in terms of key aspects, including operation time, purity, and recovery rate. This highlights the potential of this magnetic bead-based ion exchange platform for isolating exosomes present in blood plasma.

Automated summary

Extracellular vesicles are important biomarkers in liquid biopsies, but current EV-isolation technologies are limited. This study introduces a magnetic bead-based ion exchange platform, ExoCAS-2, for isolating EVs with high purity and yield within 40 minutes. Compared to existing methods, this platform shows superior performance in terms of operation time, purity, and recovery rate, highlighting its potential for isolating exosomes from blood plasma.