Table 4.
Qualitative exosome characterization methods
| Method | Advantages | Disadvantages | Throughput | Refs. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Protein | Western blot | Cost‐effective |
Limited sensitivity Antibody availability |
No | [225, 229, 281] |
| Flow cytometry |
Intact particle phenotyping Multiplexed protein marker detection |
Not suitable for particles ≤200 nm | High | [203, 232] | |
| Stimulated emission depletion microscopy |
High‐resolution imaging High specificity |
Time consuming Antibody availability |
No | [203, 234, 235] | |
| Surface plasmon resonance microscopy |
Label‐free High sensitivity |
Influenced by sample concentration and particle size | High | [236] | |
| ELISA |
High sensitivity and specificity Commercially available |
Antibody availability | High | [206] | |
| Mass spectroscopy | Comprehensive analysis | High sample purity required | High | [235] | |
| Lipid | Raman spectroscopy |
Label‐free High specificity and sensitivity |
Time consuming High sample purity required |
No | [236, 237] |
| Mass spectroscopy |
Label‐free High specificity |
High sample purity required | High | [235] | |
| DNA/RNA | Next generation sequencing |
Multiplexed analysis Small sample input Reading short fragments |
Time consuming Restrained by an intrinsic error rate |
High | [225, 229] |
| PCR | High sensitivity and accuracy | Limited multiplex capability | High | [225] |