Table 1 Summary and comparison of different exosome isolation methods

Ultracentrifugation

Obtaining exosomes with high concentration suitable for large-scale isolation

Complex instrument operation and low efficiency of exosome isolation and extraction

Filtration

High exosome purity, short time expenditure, and ability to fractionate exosomes by size

Membrane pore size needs to be selected based on sample characteristics, and the filtration rate may be affected by pore size and sample concentration

Differential centrifugation

The extracted exosomes have high purity, which ensures the structural integrity of the exosomes

Multiple centrifugation steps required, resulting in cumbersome workflow

Density gradient centrifugation

Efficient isolation of exosomes of different densities

Preparing density gradient solutions requires technical expertise and experience. Centrifugation speed and duration need to be properly controlled, otherwise separation efficiency may be impacted

Immunomagnetic bead separation

Selective isolation of target exosomes

Selection and modification of target-specific antibodies is required, and complex procedure may impact exosome structure and function

Size exclusion chromatography

Simple procedure concurrently isolates exosomes while excluding larger exosomes, protein aggregates, and cell debris

Membrane damage or disruption during isolation may impact exosome function and properties