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Shami-shah et al. Extracell Vesicles Circ Nucleic Acids 2023;4:447-60 Extracellular Vesicles and
DOI: 10.20517/evcna.2023.14
Circulating Nucleic Acids

Mini Review Open Access

Advances in extracellular vesicle isolation methods:
a path towards cell-type specific EV isolation

1,2
1,2
Adnan Shami-shah , Benjamin G Travis , David R Walt 1,2
1
Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02120, USA.
2
Department of Pathology, Brigham & Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02120, USA.
Correspondence to: Prof. David R Walt, Department of Pathology, Brigham & Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School,
60 Fenwood Road, Boston, MA 02120, USA. E-mail: dwalt@bwh.harvard.edu
How to cite this article: Shami-shah A, Travis BG, Walt DR. Advances in extracellular vesicle isolation methods: a path towards
cell-type specific EV isolation. Extracell Vesicles Circ Nucleic Acids 2023;4:447-60. https://dx.doi.org/10.20517/evcna.2023.14
Received: 15 Feb 2023 Revised: 20 Jun 2023 Accepted: 10 Jul 2023 Published: 19 Jul 2023

Academic Editor: Yoke Peng Loh Copy Editor: Dan Zhang Production Editor: Dan Zhang

Abstract
Extracellular vesicles are small, heterogenous, phospholipid-rich vesicles that are secreted by all cells into the
extracellular space. They play a key role in intercellular communication because they can transport a variety of
biomolecules such as proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids between cells. As categorized by the International Society
of Extracellular Vesicles (ISEV), the term EV encompasses different sub-types, including exosomes, microvesicles,
and apoptotic bodies, which differ in their size, origin, and cargo. EVs can be isolated from biological fluids such as
blood, urine, and cerebrospinal fluid, and their biomolecular content can be analyzed to monitor the progression of
certain diseases. Therefore, EVs can be used as a new source of liquid biomarkers for advancing novel diagnostic
and therapeutic tools. Isolating and analyzing EVs can be challenging due to their nanoscopic size and low
abundance. Several techniques have been developed for the isolation and characterization of EVs, including
ultracentrifugation, density gradient separation, size-exclusion chromatography, microfluidics, and magnetic bead-
based/affinity methods. This review highlights advances in EV isolation techniques in the last decade and provides
a perspective on their advantages, limitations, and potential application to cell-type specific EV isolation in the
future.

Keywords: Extracellular vesicles, biomarkers, diagnostics, isolation methods, cell-type specific

© The Author(s) 2023. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, sharing,
adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, for any purpose, even commercially, as
long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and
indicate if changes were made.

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