Figure 1.

Graphical representation of extracellular vesicle (EV) roles in cancer drug resistance. Both microvesicles and exosomes can facilitate drug sequestration by directly loading and exporting anti-tumor agents from cancer cells (step 1) or by binding on their surface therapeutic antibodies in the extracellular space (step 2). Once released, EVs can also be taken up by recipient cells and release their cargo. Cargo release can affect recipient cell phenotype, modifying their sensitivity to specific drugs (step 3).