Abstract

Electrokinetic-based Microchip for Purification and Characterization of Small Extracellular Vesicles

Leyla Esfandiari, Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering, University of Cincinnati

Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) are lipid-bilayer delimited particles that are naturally secreted by all cells and have emerged as valuable biomarkers for a wide range of diseases. Efficient isolation of sEVs while maintaining yield and purity is crucial to harvest their potential in diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic applications. However, because of the complex nature of samples and the heterogeneous physicochemical properties of EVs, their accurate isolation and characterization from body fluids raises significant challenges in clinical settings. We have developed and patented a simple, yet powerful electrokinetic-based microchip capable of rapid and label-free purification of sEVs from body fluids by applying a significantly low electric field. The device also tailored with a sensing module to further characterize sEVs based on their dielectric properties by measuring their impedance. Thus, the microchip has significant potential to serve as a bioanalytical tool for liquid biopsy.