Xing Yu-Hang, Ren Xiang-Shan, Li Dong-Hao, Liu Lu
Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Yanbian University, Key Laboratory of Natural Medicine Research in Changbaishan, Ministry of Education, Yanji 133000, China.
Yanbian University Medical College, Yanji 133000, China.
Se Pu. 2025 May;43(5):455-471. doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1123.2024.10032.
Exosomes are cell-secreted nanoscale vesicles 30-150 nm in size and encompass a diverse array of biomolecules, including lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids. Exosomes play pivotal roles during the intercellular exchange of materials and information, and are closely associated with the onset and progression of a variety of diseases. Therefore, comprehensively investigating exosomes is very important in terms of disease diagnosis and treatment. However, exosomes are genetically heterogeneous and are composed of different materials. Additionally, exosome-size and packing-specific-biomarker heterogeneities result in biofunction diversity. Moreover, isolating and analyzing exosomes is highly challenging owing to their small sizes and heterogeneities. Accordingly, effective separation methods and analytical techniques for highly specifically and efficiently identifying exosomes are urgently needed in order to better understand their functionalities. While separation and analysis is required to reveal exosome heterogeneity, the former is confronted by three primary challenges. Firstly, exosome heterogeneity (including heterogeneous marker expressions and size heterogeneity that results in heterogeneous functions) results in systems that are very difficult to separate. Secondly, the coexistence of non-vesicular contaminants (lipoprotein nanoparticles, soluble proteins, nucleic acids, etc.) and the complex matrix effects of body fluids also contribute to separation difficulties. Thirdly, enrichment is a highly challenging task owing to low exosome concentrations. Traditional methods, such as ultracentrifugation and size-exclusion chromatography, fall short in terms of their abilities to precisely separate and analyze exosomes. On the other hand, microfluidics has emerged as a robust tool for the efficient analysis of complex biological samples and is characterized by miniaturization, precise control, high throughput, automation, and integration. Firstly, the operability, integrability, and modifiability of a microfluidics system facilitate exosome separation and purification based on surface properties, size, charge, and polarity. Secondly, the use of a microfluidics approach, with its high throughput, low reagent consumption, and multichannel manipulability, greatly facilitates preparing exosomes and enhancing their concentrations. Thirdly, microfluidics ensures that diverse separation methods are compatible with downstream analysis techniques. Exosomes are highly heterogeneous; hence, they are classified by type and subpopulation (according to origin, size, molecular markers, functions, etc.). This paper first discusses microfluidics techniques for separating exosomes and examines various separation strategies grounded in the physicochemical properties of exosomes. We then analyze exosome detection methodologies that use microfluidics platforms and encompass traditional group-exosome analysis techniques and novel single-exosome analysis approaches. Finally, we discuss future clinical applications of microfluidics technology in exosome research, particularly its potential for diagnosing and treating diseases, thereby underscoring the applications value of microfluidics technology in the realm of personalized and precision medicine. Furthermore, cutting-edge microfluidics platforms offer novel perspectives for purifying and preparing EVs owing to precise fluid control, integration, miniaturization, and high-throughput characterization. EV populations, subpopulations, and single vesicles can be purified based on their physicochemical properties and microfluidics features. Comprehensive lab-on-a-chip methods are promising in terms of separating EVs based on traits, such as size, surface markers, and charge, and for obtaining highly pure EVs. Recycled EV samples can be prepared by controlling the high-throughput and multichannel capabilities of microfluidics approaches. The transition from bulk EV analysis to single-vesicle analysis provides opportunities to explore the heterogeneous nature of EVs, thereby augmenting their potential for disease diagnosis.
外泌体是细胞分泌的纳米级囊泡,大小在30-150纳米之间,包含多种生物分子,如脂质、蛋白质和核酸。外泌体在细胞间物质和信息交换过程中发挥着关键作用,并且与多种疾病的发生和发展密切相关。因此,全面研究外泌体在疾病诊断和治疗方面非常重要。然而,外泌体在基因上是异质的,由不同的物质组成。此外,外泌体大小和包装特异性生物标志物的异质性导致其生物功能的多样性。而且,由于其尺寸小和异质性,分离和分析外泌体极具挑战性。因此,迫切需要高效、特异性地识别外泌体的有效分离方法和分析技术,以便更好地了解它们的功能。虽然揭示外泌体异质性需要进行分离和分析,但前者面临三个主要挑战。首先,外泌体异质性(包括异质标志物表达和导致功能异质性的大小异质性)导致系统极难分离。其次,非囊泡污染物(脂蛋白纳米颗粒、可溶性蛋白质、核酸等)的共存以及体液的复杂基质效应也增加了分离难度。第三,由于外泌体浓度低,富集是一项极具挑战性的任务。传统方法,如超速离心和尺寸排阻色谱,在精确分离和分析外泌体的能力方面存在不足。另一方面,微流控技术已成为高效分析复杂生物样品的强大工具,其特点是小型化、精确控制、高通量、自动化和集成化。首先,微流控系统的可操作性、可集成性和可改性便于基于表面性质、大小、电荷和极性对外泌体进行分离和纯化。其次,微流控方法具有高通量、低试剂消耗和多通道可操作性,极大地促进了外泌体制备并提高了其浓度。第三,微流控确保多种分离方法与下游分析技术兼容。外泌体高度异质;因此,它们按类型和亚群分类(根据来源、大小、分子标志物、功能等)。本文首先讨论用于分离外泌体的微流控技术,并研究基于外泌体物理化学性质的各种分离策略。然后,我们分析使用微流控平台的外泌体检测方法,包括传统的群体外泌体分析技术和新型的单外泌体分析方法。最后,我们讨论微流控技术在外泌体研究中的未来临床应用,特别是其在疾病诊断和治疗方面的潜力,从而强调微流控技术在个性化和精准医学领域的应用价值。此外,先进的微流控平台由于精确的流体控制、集成化、小型化和高通量表征,为纯化和制备细胞外囊泡提供了新的视角。细胞外囊泡群体、亚群和单个囊泡可根据其物理化学性质和微流控特征进行纯化。基于芯片实验室的综合方法在根据大小、表面标志物和电荷等特征分离细胞外囊泡并获得高纯度细胞外囊泡方面很有前景。通过控制微流控方法的高通量和多通道能力,可以制备回收的细胞外囊泡样品。从大量细胞外囊泡分析向单囊泡分析的转变为探索细胞外囊泡的异质性提供了机会,从而增强了它们在疾病诊断中的潜力。
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