June 27, 2023
Faculty of Pharmacy, Keio University
A research group led by Associate Professor Kenichi Nagase of the Faculty of Pharmacy, Keio University, has developed a technology to separate and purify exosomes using only temperature control.
Exosomes are nanoparticles with a diameter of about 30–100 nm secreted by cells. They contain nucleic acids, proteins, and other molecules derived from the secreting cells and are believed to play a key role in intercellular communication. In recent years, the biological functions of exosomes have attracted attention, and they are expected to be applied in various fields, including diagnostic markers, drug delivery systems (DDS), regenerative medicine, and cosmetics.
In this study, the research group created functional microparticles by modifying silica microparticles with a polymer that changes its properties in response to temperature changes and a peptide that has a specific affinity for exosomes. These functional microparticles can capture exosomes at a temperature of 37 °C. Furthermore, by lowering the temperature to 4 °C, the captured exosomes can be released from the microparticles and recovered.
Thus, the method for separating and purifying exosomes proposed in this study allows for the simple separation and purification of target exosomes using only temperature control. This is expected to lead to innovative improvements in the efficiency of exosome-based diagnostics and therapeutics.
The results of this research were published in the international academic journal "Materials Today Bio" on December 11, 2022.
For the full press release, please see below.