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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2014 Dec 1.
Published in final edited form as: Cancer Metastasis Rev. 2013 Dec;32(0):10.1007/s10555-013-9441-9. doi: 10.1007/s10555-013-9441-9

Figure-1. Biogenesis and release of Exosomes.

Figure-1

Diagram depicting the well accepted model for exosome biogenesis and release. Primarily, the exosomes are derived from the multi-vesicular bodies (MVBs) which are known as late endosomes (originally derived from lysosomes). Exosome generation can be triggered by many factor including extracellular stimuli (e.g., microbial attack) and other stresses. The exosomes can be released into the extracellular environment by fusion of MVBs with the cell surface that is supported by a number of specialized proteins called SNAREs.