In the brain, levels of inflammatory cytokines, interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), are elevated under traumatic brain injury, neuroinflammatory conditions and glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). In GBM, the levels of small heat shock protein, CRYAB (HspB5) are also reported to be elevated, where it has been shown to exert anti-apoptotic activity. Interestingly, CRYAB is secreted via exosomes by various cells. In order to understand the relation between inflammatory cytokines and CRYAB, U373 glioma cells, were stimulated with proinflammatory cytokines, IL-1 beta and TNF-alpha, and their effect on CRYAB levels in cells and secreted exosomes was studied. Our results show that U373 cells produce and secrete CRYAB via exosomes and that stimulation with IL-1 beta and TNF-alpha, significantly increase the levels of CRYAB in not only the cells but also in the secreted exosomes. In addition, cytokine stimulation of U373 cells brings about changes in the secreted exosomal proteome, many of which are involved in cancer progression. (C) 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.