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Updated: Feb 14, 2026

Evaluation of Extracellular Vesicle Function During Malaria Infection
Published on: February 14, 2018
Biogenesis and function of extracellular vesicles in cancer
Maarten P Bebelman1, Martine J Smit2, D Michiel Pegtel3
1Department of Pathology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Amsterdam Institute for Molecules Medicines and Systems, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are heterogeneous multi-signal messengers that support cancer growth and dissemination by mediating the tumor-stroma crosstalk. Exosomes are a subtype of EVs that originate from the limiting membrane of late endosomes, and as such contain information linked to both the intrinsic cell "state" and the extracellular signals cells received from their environment. Resolving the signals affecting exosome biogenesis, cargo sorting and release will increase our understanding of tumorigenesis. In this review we highlight key cell biological processes that couple exosome biogenesis to cargo sorting in cancer cells. Moreover, we discuss how the bidirectional communication between tumor and non-malignant cells affect cancer growth and metastatic behavior.
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