Multivesicular bodies are organelles formed from early endosomes during the process of maturation. While maturing, an increasing number of intraluminal vesicles form, and the early endosome transforms into a multivesicular body or MVB. MVBs fuse with lysosomes for the degradation of internalized proteins, such as growth factor receptors. Growth factors, including the epidermal growth factor or EGF, control cell division and differentiation. Once the epidermal growth factor binds to its receptor, the EGF receptor, the ligand-receptor complex is internalized via receptor-mediated endocytosis. The endocytosed complex then fuses with the early endosome and is later sorted into intraluminal vesicles. When the newly formed MVB fuses with a lysosome, the lysosomal hydrolases degrade the receptor-ligand complex. This process of receptor downregulation helps switch off specific cellular signaling pathways to prevent excess cell growth, proliferation, or cancer.