FIGURE 1.

EV biogenesis and biological functions in cancer. A cancer cell is shown with surface proteins and EVs undergoing endocytosis via the early and late endosome and the multi-vesicular body (MVB) that shuttles protein or vesicular (intra-luminal vesicles, ILV) cargo to lysosomes or the cell surface, thus releasing exosomes (beige EVs), meanwhile outward budding of the plasma membrane releases microvesicles (green EVs). The case of apoptotic bodies generated from cells undergoing cell death is not illustrated. Key regulatory proteins of endocytosis and EV biogenesis are shown with their names boxed. A single EV is magnified in order to highlight various cargo molecules. miRNAs and lncRNAs may be viewed with potential caution as to their functional importance as EV cargo. Dotted arrows indicate diverse cell biological functions of EVs that relate to the hallmarks of cancer.