Consistently, cancer stemness markers CD133, CD44, and OCT4 were obviously increased in SW480CAFs-exos, SW620CAFs-exos and LOVOCAFs-exos cells by real-time PCR, western blot and immunofluorescence assays (Fig. 1j, k, Additional file 1: Figure S4F), indicating the enhancement of CRC cell stemness phenotypes by CAFs-exos. This evidence concerns the gene CD44 and cancer.