Size-dependent cellular uptake of exosomes

Exosomes from glioma-associated stem cells (GASC) were purified using either ExoQuick (EQ) or ultracentrifugation (UC). The two purification methods generated different particle size distributions and atomic force microscope images showed that EQ preparations were richer in smaller vesicles compared to UC. Also, cellular uptake from A172 glioblastoma cells showed that small EQ exosomes were preferentially internalized compared to UC and this increased the motility of EQ-exposed cells compared to UC and a negative control (NC) not exposed to GASC exosomes. We concluded that smaller exosomes are preferentially internalized and they elicit a cellular response more effectively.83