Plain-language articles, short white papers and the documents behind our supply — written by the EXOMIE team for formulators, researchers and clinicians.
9papers, dossiers & notes
Technical dossier
CICA EV™ — characterisation, safety & active delivery
Extracellular vesicles from Centella asiatica (Gotu kola), characterised by DLS, NTA, zeta potential, SEM, SDS-PAGE and ICP-MS, with a proof-of-concept Vitamin C loading and a 90-day stability study.
113.7 nmDLS Z-average · PDI 0.234
168.3 nmNTA median size (X50), ZetaView
~1.6×10¹⁰particles/mL by NTA
−8.5 mVmean zeta potential (SD 5.42)
75.4%Vitamin C loading efficiency (HPLC-UV)
< 0.005ppm As, Cd, Pb, Hg, Cr by ICP-MS
Morphology (SEM) — spherical to cup-shaped vesicles, about 50–200 nm, no aggregation observed
Protein profile (SDS-PAGE) — bands from about 10–150 kDa, enriched around 25–75 kDa
Stable at 2–8 °C: size 122.4 → 124.0 nm, loading 75.4 → 72.6%. Minimal change at room temperature. Gradual change under accelerated conditions (40 °C / 75% RH), within acceptable limits up to 60 days.
Particle size (DLS)
nm over 90 days
2–8 °C25 °C / 60% RH40 °C / 75% RH
Vitamin C encapsulation efficiency
% over 90 days
2–8 °C25 °C / 60% RH40 °C / 75% RH
Values as reported in the dossier (n = 3). Particle size is reported from separate measurements — DLS Z-average, NTA and the stability series — and these are not interchangeable.
Concise technical notes — each readable in a few minutes. Use your browser’s print function to save any section as a PDF.
White paper 01
Reading an exosome Certificate of Analysis
Every line of a COA, and why it is there.
Identity block — product, batch number, report, manufacture and expiry dates, volume, and processing notes such as 0.2 µm filter sterilisation or a stabiliser.
Appearance and pH — a first sanity check; pH is tied to vesicle stability (our batches: 5.17–5.5 against 5.0–6.0).
Protein by Bradford — used with the specification that 1 µg ≈ 1 billion EVs, so ≥ 2 µg/mL reads as at least 2 billion EVs/mL (our batches: 2.09–2.62 µg/mL).
Size distribution and SEM — median 30–200 nm and spherical, cup-shaped morphology.
Microbiology and metals — aerobic count, yeast and mould, E. coli, Salmonella, and lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic, chromium, plus aflatoxin B1 for botanicals.
Method beside every result — the habit that makes batches comparable.
White paper 02
Planning a dose with standardised stock
From particles per mL to millilitres to order.
Choose a target dose in your finished product, in particles per mL.
Multiply by batch volume to get total particles required.
Divide by the stock concentration to get the volume of exosome stock — then check it is a sensible share of the batch.
Round total particles up to the minimum-order multiple (for catalogue plant exosomes, 1 × 10¹² particles).
Confirm stability and compatibility in your base. The calculator on the Bulk Supply page does the arithmetic.
White paper 03
Exonira: summary of the diabetic-foot-ulcer study
Design, findings and — importantly — limitations.
Prospective, open-label, non-randomised; 30 adults with Type 1 or 2 diabetes and a single ulcer (under 15 cm, Wagner grade ≤ 2); 5–10 drops once daily for 90 days.
Reported significant improvement (p < 0.05) in ulcer area, wound-evaluation score and lower-extremity function; no adverse events reported.
Limitations: small sample, no comparator, summary-level statistics; a larger randomised controlled trial is recommended.
Read the full evidence on the Exonira pages.
Long form
Articles
Four primers on the biology, sourcing, measurement and delivery of exosomes.
Article · 6 min
What are exosomes?
Biogenesis, cargo and why nanoscale messengers matter for regenerative science.
Every cell in the body — and in plants — releases tiny membrane-bound packages into its surroundings. The smallest, roughly 30 to 200 nanometres across, are called exosomes: about a thousand times narrower than a human hair, yet carrying RNA, proteins, lipids and metabolites from one cell to another.
How they form
Exosomes begin inside the cell. The surface membrane folds inward to make an early endosome; the endosome membrane buds inward again, creating small vesicles inside a larger multivesicular body. When that body fuses with the cell surface, the vesicles are released — these are exosomes. On the way, the cell sorts specific miRNA, siRNA, proteins and lipids into them, so the cargo is a selective snapshot of the parent cell rather than a random sample.
What they carry
miRNA, siRNA and other non-coding RNA that can tune gene expression in a recipient cell
Proteins, including tetraspanins used as identity markers
Lipids that give the membrane stability and influence uptake
DNA fragments and small metabolites that add further signals
Why they matter
Exosomes are cell-free: they deliver signals without transplanting whole cells. Their lipid membrane protects RNA from degradation and can help cargo cross biological barriers — properties that make them attractive for skin renewal, wound repair, delivery research and biomarker work.
Key pointExosomes are selectively loaded, nanoscale messengers. Their value depends on knowing source, size, concentration and cargo — which is what characterisation provides.
Article · 7 min
Plant, stem-cell or milk — which vesicle fits your work?
How the source shapes cargo, supply and best-fit applications.
Choosing a source is the first and most consequential decision in a programme. The same nanoscale architecture appears in plants, human stem cells and milk, but cargo, supply and context differ.
Plant-derived vesicles
Plants release exosome-like nanovesicles rich in lipids, proteins and small RNAs. They are abundant, scalable and vegan-friendly, and can be drawn from a wide range of botanicals — fruit, leaf, flower, seed, root. They suit cosmetics and daily-care formulations built on antioxidant, barrier and brightening concepts.
Stem-cell (MSC) vesicles
Mesenchymal stem cells from bone marrow, adipose tissue, umbilical cord or dental tissue secrete vesicles associated with repair and immune balance. Each tissue has a signature: adipose for angiogenic and matrix-remodelling signals, umbilical cord for high regenerative potency, dental tissue for neurotrophic cues. The trade-offs are higher cost, donor and culture variability, and a stricter regulatory context.
Milk and hemp vesicles
Cow-milk exosomes are abundant, lipid-rich and stable, which makes them a popular carrier in delivery research; they are animal-derived and labelled as such. Hemp-seed vesicles are plant-derived and lipid-rich, suited to barrier-nourishing concepts.
If you need…
Start with
A broad antioxidant, barrier or brightening story with vegan sourcing
Plant-derived
Regenerative or immune-balancing signalling from defined human tissue
MSC-derived
A lipid-rich carrier for delivery research
Milk or hemp seed
Nucleotide-based repair support
Plant PDRN
Key pointMatch the source to the biological story and the regulatory context.
Article · 6 min
Characterising vesicles properly
What each test answers, and where each falls short.
No single measurement proves that a preparation is “exosomes”. Good practice — reflected in the MISEV guidelines — combines orthogonal methods, each answering a different question, and reports honestly what was measured.
Size and concentration
Nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) follows particles by their Brownian motion, giving a size distribution and a count per millilitre. It cannot tell vesicles from similar-sized particles such as protein aggregates. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) reports mean size, polydispersity and zeta potential — quick for batch consistency, less reliable for mixed populations.
Morphology
Electron microscopy shows the vesicles directly. TEM reveals internal structure (the familiar “cup shape” is partly a drying artefact); SEM shows surface morphology and lets individual diameters be measured. It is the reality check on NTA and DLS numbers.
Identity, purity and safety
Protein content (for example Bradford) and the particle-to-protein ratio indicate purity
Markers and RNA integrity support identity and cargo quality
Sterility, endotoxin, mycoplasma, microbial load — plus aflatoxin and pesticide screening for botanicals and heavy-metal limits — decide whether a batch is fit to use
Key pointUse several methods, read each for what it can and cannot prove, and insist on method-tagged results on the certificate.
Article · 6 min
From RNA to delivery: loading vesicles
Approaches to loading siRNA and miRNA — and proving it worked.
Exosomes naturally carry RNA, but many programmes want to deliver a specific one: a siRNA to silence a gene, or a miRNA mimic to tune a pathway. Loading it, and proving that it arrived intact, is a discipline of its own.
Loading strategies
Passive incubation — gentle but often low efficiency
Electroporation — an electric pulse transiently opens the membrane; efficient, but can aggregate RNA and stress vesicles
Sonication or extrusion — mechanical disruption followed by membrane recovery
Freeze–thaw cycles — mild permeabilisation
Chemical modification — for example cholesterol-conjugated siRNA that anchors in the bilayer
Endogenous loading — engineering the parent cell to package the RNA itself
Proving it worked
A common pitfall is mistaking RNA stuck on the outside, or aggregated with reagent, for RNA inside the vesicle. Good evidence includes nuclease-protection assays, controls that remove free RNA, and quantification by RT-qPCR or sequencing — from which encapsulation efficiency is calculated.
Beyond loading
Stability over time and temperature, release kinetics, and a functional read-out in cells (gene silencing, collagen, melanin, cytokines) complete the picture.
Key pointLoading is half the job. Protection, stability, release and function must each be measured before claiming delivery.
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Document library
Documents that accompany supply. Ask us for the full specification and documentation pack for any item.
