Isolation and Characterization of T Lymphocyte-Exosomes Using Mass Spectrometry.

Exosomes are cell-derived vesicles that have been implicated in the pathogenesis of many inflammatory diseases. In the immune system, it has been shown that T lymphocyte-derived exosomes are able to induce diverse cellular responses. There are several methods to isolate and to characterize exosomes, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. Here, we describe a centrifugation approach, combined with mass spectrometry characterization, as a means to study exosomes derived from primary human T lymphocytes. This method is sensitive and therefore can be applied when a limited amount of sample is available.