Abstract: Exosomes are nanoscale extracellular vesicles of diameter 30-150 nm secreted by cells. Exosomes contain many specific biomarkers such as proteins,mRNA,miRNA,and participate in many important biological processes such as intercellular communications,antigen presentation,and the transport of proteins,RNA,and other molecules. Exosomes are also associated with the occurrence of cancer and other diseases. Therefore,exosomes have significant application value in the investigation of disease mechanism,disease detection and diagnostics. However,these exosomes-based applications rely on the isolation and purification of exosomes because they are generally dispersed in body fluids. In recent several years,based on their physical or chemical properties many methods and techniques for the isolation and purification of exosomes have been developed,such as ultracentrifugation,polymer precipitation,immunoaffinity capture,and microfluidics-based methods. This article reviewed recent advances in methods and techniques for exosomes isolation and purification,including the brief introduction of conventional exosomes isolation methods,the detailed introduction of microfluidic-based exosomes isolation techniques,and the contrast of these methods in the mechanism,performance,and application prospects. By inducing and comparing recent advances in exosome isolation and purification,this review aims to provide a reference for the researchers in exosomes-related research work,and indirectly promote the exosomes research in disease detection and other biomedical applications.

Key words: exosomes, extracellular vesicles, isolation and purification, microfluidics-based techniques