Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2026, Vol. 30 ›› Issue (1): 194-203.doi: 10.12307/2025.570

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Isolation, identification, and application of exosomes derived from mesenchymal stem cells

Liu Yu1, Gong Senyi1, Yang Lihua1, Li Weifeng1, Hu Yuwen1, Yan Qinbiao1, 2, Guo Meijin1   

  1. 1State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, 2School of Business, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
  • Received:2024-09-25 Accepted:2024-11-22 Online:2026-01-08 Published:2025-07-02
  • Contact: Guo Meijin, PhD, Professor, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
  • About author:Liu Yu, Master candidate, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
  • Supported by:
    Strategic Priority Research Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. XDA16030702 (to GMJ)

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Exosomes derived from mesenchymal stem cells play pivotal roles in cell communication and epigenetic regulation due to their low immunogenicity and targeted delivery effects, and have been clinically applied in the treatment of various diseases. 
OBJECTIVE: To review the isolation, purification, identification methods, and application progress of mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes, and to facilitate the development of large-scale preparation techniques and clinical translation of mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes. 
METHODS: The Chinese search terms “exosome, mesenchymal stem cells, isolation, purification, characterization, clinical application” and the English search terms “exosome, extracellular vesicles, mesenchymal stem cells, isolation, characterization, application” were used to search the literature published before September 2024 in CNKI, PubMed, and Web of Science databases. Articles with poor relevance to the topic, outdated, or duplicated content were excluded, and finally, 109 articles were included for review.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) This paper reviews recent methods for isolating and purifying exosomes, comparing the characteristics of ultracentrifugation, ultrafiltration, size-exclusion chromatography, polymer precipitation, immunoaffinity, microfluidic methods, and other novel approaches based on their underlying principles. (2) Methods for identifying exosomes can be categorized into physical and biochemical analyses, characterizing exosomes based on their shape, size, and characteristic proteins. (3) Mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes have broad applications in multiple fields such as medical aesthetics, wound repair, and cancer treatment, due to their immune-regulatory properties and ability to cross biological barriers. (4) The clinical translation of exosomes faces challenges due to their complex structure, lack of universal isolation techniques, and poor stability, making it difficult to achieve in a short period of time.


Key words: mesenchymal stem cell, exosome, extracellular vesicle, isolation and purification, preparation technology, characterization and identification, clinical application, disease treatment, engineered exosome

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