Exosome Isolation after in vitro Shock Wave Therapy

Shock wave therapy is routinely applied in orthopedic indications including tendinopathies such as lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow) and Achilles tendinitis (heel spurs) as well as non-healing wounds and bones. Despite different pathologies, the combination of an angiogenic and an anti-inflammatory effect of shock wave therapy leads to regeneration in soft tissue and bones. In over 30 years of clinical application, no side effects were observed. Furthermore, basic research even revealed regenerative effects on ischemic myocardium.

In a previous work we could show that the mechanical stimulus of cultured cells is translated via an exosome release into a biological response. However, the exact mechanism remains to be elucidated. Mechanical coupling is crucial when applying shock wave therapy as even small air bubbles can absorb shock waves. The previously described water bath method is a valid method to guarantee adequate and reproducible shock wave application in vitro.

We were able to develop a feasible and replicable protocol to isolate exosomes from cultured cells after shock wave application. Thereby we demonstrate a possibility to study underlying mechanisms of mechanotransduction as well as the regenerative and angiogenic potential of shock wave released exosomes.