Isolating Milk-derived Exosomes Using qEV Columns

Exosomes and other extracellular vesicles (EVs) are being studied in different biological fluids such as plasma, saliva, and milk, to understand their physiological roles and potential diagnostic value. Improving the purity of these isolates is therefore critical to advancing the field. In a 2017 study published in Reproductive Biology, researchers from the University of Queensland report a new method incorporating size exclusion chromatography (Izon’s qEV columns) to enrich exosomes derived from bovine milk. The use of qEV columns resulted in a particle yield that exceeded that of the benchmark method by approximately two orders of magnitude. The columns were also much quicker and simpler to use, enabling a higher throughput than the alternative buoyant density gradient centrifugation. It is important to note, however, that NTA – a semi-quantitative technique – was used to quantify particle concentrations. Tunable resistive pulse sensing, on the other hand, would have provided far greater certainty and detail on EV physical characteristics. This may provide an opportunity for further study.