ACTA1 and colorectal carcinoma: To further illustrate the effects of exosomal miRNAs on the activation of fibroblasts, we performed RT-qPCR and found that the levels of α-SMA and FAP were prominently elevated in MRC-5 cells treated with exosomes derived from CXCR7-overexpressing CRC cells compared to those from control cells (Fig. 4F).