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A promising approach toward efficient isolation of the exosomes by core–shell PCL-gelatin electrospun nanofibers

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Abstract

Exosomes as cell-derived vesicles are promising biomarkers for noninvasive and early detection of different types of cancer. However, a straightforward and cost-effective technique for isolation of exosomes in routine clinical settings is still challenging. Herein, we present for the first time, a novel coaxial nanofiber structure for the exosome isolation from body fluids with high efficiency. Coaxial nanofiber structure is composed of polycaprolactone polymer as core and a thin layer of gelatin (below 10 nm) as the shell. The thermo-sensitive thin layer of gelatin can efficiently release the captured exosome by specific antibody namely, CD63, whenever its temperature raised to the physiological temperature of 37 °C. Moreover, the thin layer of gelatin induces less contamination to separated exosomes. The interconnected micro-pores of electrospun nanofibrous membrane insurances large surface area for immobilization of specific antibody for efficient exosome capturing. The efficacy of exosome isolation is determined by direct ELISA and compared with ultracentrifugation technique. For the exosome isolation, it was observed that over 87% of exosomes existed in the culture medium can be effectively isolated by coaxial electrospun nanofibers with the average thickness of 50 µm. Therefore, this promising technique can be substituted for the traditional techniques for exosome isolation which are mostly suffering from low efficacy, high cost, and troublesome process.

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Abbreviations

BSA:

Bovine serum albumin

DI:

Deionized

EDC:

1-Ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide

ELISA:

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

FBS:

Fetal bovine serum

FTIR:

Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy

HRP:

Horseradish peroxidase

mRNA:

Messenger ribonucleic acid

NHS:

N-Hydroxysuccinimide

NTA:

Nanoparticle tracking analysis

PBS:

Phosphate-buffered saline

PCa:

Prostate cancer

PCL:

Polycaprolacton

PSA:

Prostate specific antigen

SEM:

Scanning electron microscope

TEM:

Transmission electron microscopy

TFE:

2,2,2-Trifluoroethanol

TMB:

3,3′,5,5′-Tetramethylbenzidine

UV:

Ultra violet

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Acknowledgements

This study was made possible by a grant with the number of 704 from the National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (NIGEB), Tehran, Iran.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Industrial and Environmental Biotechnology, National Institute for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (NIGEB), Tehran, Iran

    Fatemeh Barati, Arezoo Mohammadian Farsani & Matin Mahmoudifard

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  1. Fatemeh Barati
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  2. Arezoo Mohammadian Farsani
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  3. Matin Mahmoudifard
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Correspondence to Matin Mahmoudifard.

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Barati, F., Farsani, A.M. & Mahmoudifard, M. A promising approach toward efficient isolation of the exosomes by core–shell PCL-gelatin electrospun nanofibers. Bioprocess Biosyst Eng 43, 1961–1971 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00449-020-02385-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00449-020-02385-7

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