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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2017 Jul 1.
Published in final edited form as: J Hepatol. 2016 Mar 14;65(1):213–221. doi: 10.1016/j.jhep.2016.03.004

Figure 4. Exosomes and microvesicles in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Figure 4

HCC cells secrete exosomes that can be taken up by other HCC cells leading to enhancement of cell proliferation, migration and invasion in the recipient cell. Previous studies have shown that exosomes secreted from HCC cells contain decreased and increased levels of miR-122 and miR-21, respectively. Liver stem cells secrete microvesicles which contain elevated levels of various miRNAs. An anesthetic propofol induces macrophages to secrete microvesicles which contain elevated miR-142-3p. These microvesicles can inhibit HCC cell growth suggesting that microvesicles could be used as a therapeutic tool for liver cancer.