Table 1.
Main extracellular vesicles’ isolation and purification methods.
| Method | Functional Principle | Main Advantages/Disadvantages | References |
|---|---|---|---|
| Differential centrifugation | Multi step precipitation | Cheap method/low EVs recovery rate and unspecific method | [85,86] |
| Polymer-based precipitation | Salting out method | Fast method/unspecific method and low purity | [87,88] |
| Size-exclusion chromatography | Hydrodynamic radius-based separation | High purity of EVs recovered/ low yield | [89,90] |
| Tangential flow filtration (TFF) | Cross-flow filtration | Large scale isolation/unspecific method | [91]/NA |
| Magnetic beads affinity | Immunocapture | Efficient multi-step method/expensive and unsuitable for large sample volumes | [92,93] |
| Microfluidic platforms | Immunocapture | Single-step method/Shear stress can damage EVs | [93,94] |