Comparison of Methods for Isolation of Extracellular Vesicles from Human Serum

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have recently become an important object of studies. It seems that, in the body, intercellular communication, including the regulation of gene expression, the control of proliferation and differentiation, and others, is mediated by EVs. The important role of EVs in pathology is also shown. An important practical application of EVs is their use as markers of various pathological conditions. At present, the understanding of the molecular mechanisms of action of EVs is very limited, not least due to the methodological difficulties of studying these objects. First of all, it should be noted that there is no standardized method for isolating EVs, and this is a problem for a deeper study of EVs. We tried to choose the most appropriate method for isolating EVs from blood serum. For this, EVs were isolated from blood serum using three methods, after which the protein composition of the isolated EVs was determined using mass spectrometry. Each of the methods used has its own advantages and disadvantages, which must be taken into account when planning experiments in the future.