Fig. 6.

Proposed mechanism of exosome-mediated regulation of endothelial cell angiogenesis in CRC. Exosomes originating from cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) encapsulate circ_0084043, which functions as a sponge for miR-140–3p, leading to a reduction in the functional levels of miR-140–3p. Consequently, this reduction increases HIF-1α levels due to the relieved inhibitory effects of miR-140–3p. This proposed model suggests that exosome-transmitted circ_0084043 promotes endothelial cell migration and angiogenesis by regulating the miR-140–3p/HIF-1α/VEGF signaling axis.