Table 1.

Comparison of two most frequently utilized exosome isolation methods for clinical utility

	DUC	UF
Mechanism of exosome separation	Physical features of exosomes (size, shape and density), the exerted centrifugal force, and the viscosity of the solvent	Particle size and MWCO of the utilized filter membrane
Recovery	I	H
Purity	H	L
Specificity	I	L
Sample volume	I	H
Efficiency	I	I
Time	H	H
Cost	L	I
Complexity	I	L
Functionality of exosomes	I	I
Scalability	I	H
Advanced equipment	I	L
References	[113–117]	[118–121]

L low, I intermediate, H high

Recovery: exosomal yield; purity: the ability of isolating exosomes with minimum contamination; specificity: the ability to separate exosomes from nonexosomal content; sample volume: the required amount of starting material; efficiency: sample processing with high quality; time: the ability to isolate exosomes in a short amount of time; cost: the required amount of money; complexity: the need for training before use; functionality of exosomes: the use of isolated exosomes for downstream functional analysis without changing their efficacy; scalability: the ability to isolate exosomes from large sample volumes without overly increasing time, cost, or personnel required; advanced equipment: the need for expensive equipment and device