Scalable, high-throughput isolation of extracellular vesicles using electrokinetic-assisted mesh filtration

As extracellular vesicles (EVs) are increasingly recognized for their superior functions for therapeutics, the need for large-scale EV isolation technology is becoming more critical for clinical and industrial applications. Most existing EV isolation methods are optimized for small-scale laboratory samples, limiting their efficiency and scalability for large-scale production. Here, an electrokinetic-assisted filtration system (ExoFilter), which introduces charge interaction into physical mesh flow filtration, is proposed as a new candidate to address the challenges of scalable EV isolation. The hybrid filtration system demonstrates outstanding high-throughput EV isolation performance (a flux of ∼750 mL/min) using only a coarse physical filter, by electrokinetically arresting EVs flowing through the filter lattice. Furthermore, the recovery efficiency of ExoFilter, analyzed based on the ELISA results, was found to be approximately 98%, demonstrating the filter’s exceptional efficiency in EV isolation. Additionally, ExoFilter enables the rapid isolation of EVs from small samples as little as 200 µL, facilitating quick and easy blood-based EV research. Furthermore, low-molecular-weight albumin from plasma samples was effectively removed. The high-throughput and high-efficiency characteristics of ExoFilter make it well-suited for scalable EV production, offering greater convenience for various clinical applications.