Fig. 1

A: Schematic summary of EV production and genetic information transmission from one cell to another. The endosome, made up of a plasma membrane, gives rise to Exos. Inward budding also occurs as early endosomes mature into late ones, forming MVBs packed with intraluminal vesicles (ILV). Lysosomes can also break down MVBs or fuse with the membrane and release ILV, known as Exos. MVs, on the other hand, originate from the budding of the plasma membrane. B: Four distinct ways that Exos and MVs interact. EVs further facilitate cell-to-cell communication by transferring bioactive molecules (namely, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids) horizontally. EVs generated by a secreting cell, such as MVs or Exos, can thus enter a target cell through fusion, endocytosis, and phagocytosis, or interact with the ligand/receptor of membrane proteins of the target cell