The formation of exosomes begins with the inward budding of the plasma membrane, forming early endosomes. These endosomes mature into late endosomes, which subsequently form intraluminal vesicles (ILVs) within multivesicular bodies (MVBs). The MVBs can either fuse with lysosomes for degradation or with the plasma membrane to release the ILVs as exosomes. The process is regulated by various proteins, including the ESCRT (endosomal sorting complex required for transport) machinery.
