Isolation of Small Extracellular Vesicles Derived from Mesenchymal Stem Cells from Large-Volume Samples with GMP Compliance for Clinical Trials

Small extracellular vesicles (sEV) derived from mesenchymal stem cells (MSC-sEVs) have been underscored as a cell-free treatment modality with minimal adverse effects. In contrast, traditional extraction methods such as ultracentrifugation and size-exclusion chromatography are limited by their time intensity, cost, and scalability. To overcome these limitations, we propose a method integrating a hemodialyzer and ultracentrifugation. This approach utilizes a hemodialysis device with a 100 kDa molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) membrane, which selectively concentrates sEVs while filtering out a plethora of proteins, thereby enhancing the yield and purity of sEVs. This initial purification step is followed by ultracentrifugation to further refine the sEV preparation. The integration of these two technologies not only significantly reduced the time spent on the entire process but also ensured compliance with good manufacturing practice (GMP) standards. The method here demonstrates high efficiency in isolating sEVs from a large volume of samples, offering a significant advancement over traditional methods. This protocol holds promise for accelerating the translation of EV-based therapies into clinical practice by providing a scalable, cost-effective, and GMP-compliant solution.