Thermosensitive Capturer Coupled with the CD63 Aptamer for Highly Efficient Isolation of Exosomes

Exosomes are bioactive substances secreted by various cells that play a crucial role in cell communication. Due to their nanoscale size and interference from nonexosome proteins, the rapid capture and nondestructive release of exosomes remain a technical challenge which significantly hinders their biomedical application. To overcome this obstacle, we have designed a CD63 aptamer-based thermosensitive copolymer for the effective isolation of exosomes from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). A thermal-responsive copolymer, poly( N -isopropylacrylamide- co -butyl methacrylate- co - N -hydroxysuccinimide methacrylate) P(NIPAM- co -BMA- co -NHSMA, PNB), was prepared, which could realize reversible hydrophilic/hydrophobic phase transition by varying temperature. Then, CD63 aptamers were further modified to the copolymer to form the PNB-aptamer, where the aptamer units, acting as a “lock and key”, specifically bind exosomes. Under the low critical solution temperature (LCST) of the PNB-aptamer, it can maintain a hydrophilic state, capturing exosomes from the cell culture medium. Subsequently, exosome-carrying PNB-aptamers can endure from hydrophilic to hydrophobic phase transition by increasing the temperature above its LCST, and then they can be collected after centrifugation. By introducing the complementary sequence of the CD63 aptamer, the stronger binding affinity between the complementary sequence and the aptamers facilitates the release of exosomes from the PNB-aptamer. The yield of exosome samples captured from a MSC culture medium by the PNB-aptamer system (around 62%) is considerably higher than that obtained by the current “gold standard” ultrafiltration (UC) approach (around 42%). Thus, the PNB-aptamer capturer provides a potential strategy for highly efficient exosome isolation.