Figure 2. Exosomes role in chemoresistance.

Schematic representation of exosomes role in drug resistance acquisition. Exosomes can contribute to drug resistance by actively exporting drugs out of the cells transferring drug efflux pumps or delivering molecules (i.e. miRNA and prosurvival proteins) to sensitive recipient cells. Particularly, exosomes released by drug-resistant cells expressed high level of P-gp and are able to transfer P-gp to sensitive cells [37]. Moreover, exosomes containing miRNA expelled from drug-resistant cells can modify chemo-sensitivity in recipient cells by modulating cell cycle distribution and drug-induced apoptosis [37].