A Comparison of Traditional and Novel Methods for the Separation of Exosomes from Human Samples

Table 1

The characteristics of each method.

		Equipment	Features
			advantages	disadvantages
Traditional Methods	Ultracentrifugation	Ultracentrifuge	High sample capacity; Protein and RNA components are not affected; facilitating later research	Time-consuming; instrument-dependent; low purity
	Density gradient	Ultracentrifuge	High separation efficiency; high purity; won't to be crushed or deformed	Long run time; equipment dependence; low yield; complex process
	Immunomagnetic Beads	Magnetic bead, antibody	Save time; Maintain integrity; Convenient operation; Not affected by exosome size; No need for expensive instruments	High reagent cost; low capacity and low yields
	Exoquick	Exoquick™	Simple steps, quick operation; size uniformity; suitable for small samples, such as serum	Impurity; Affected by exosome diameter; expensive reagents; low production
	Chromatography	Gel filtration column	High purity; uniform in size	Low extraction volume; extensive laboratory equipment requirements
Novel Methods	Stirred ultrafiltration	Ultrafiltration membrane, nitrogen	Do not rely on equipment; less time consuming; Reduces the destruction of exosomes during the process	Moderate purity of isolated exosomes; loss of exosomes during the process
	Filtration Device	Microfluidic device	Fast, low cost; easy automation and integration; high portability	Lack of standardization and large scale tests on clinical samples, lack of method validation; low sample capacity
	nPES	GNPs, antibodies	Fast, efficient, high purity; quantitative analysis	High reagent cost; complex statistical tools; low capacity
	Membrane modification	Magnetic field, magnetic nanoparticles	Need not antibodies; save time; preserve the original structure of the exosomes; drug carriers	Complicated operation; impurity
	ExoTIC	ExoTIC, syringe pump	Simple operation, exosome in a specific range, high purity	Special equipment requirements; Lack of tests on clinical samples,