Figure 3

Osteoblast-EVs down-regulate miR-29a target genes and stimulate proliferation and cell cycle progression of UCB-derived CD34⁺ cells.

(a) RPKM values (mean ± SD) of osteoblast-EV miRNAs known to be involved in different phases of hematopoiesis. (b) Expression levels (mean ± SD) of candidate mRNA targets of miR-29a in human UCB-derived CD34⁺ cells after 24 hours of incubation in GBGM supplemented with SCF and Flt3L in the absence (control) or presence of osteoblast-EVs (N = 5). *P < 0.05, ***P < 0.005, compared with control by Student’s t-test. (c) Proliferation assay, determined by the % of Ki-67⁺ CD34⁺ cells (mean ± SD), after 24 hours incubation in the absence (control) or presence of osteoblast-EVs (N = 3). *P < 0.05, compared with control by Student’s t-test. (d) Cell cycle distribution, using propidium iodide (PI) staining of CD34⁺ cells (mean ± SD), after 24 hours incubation in the absence (control) or presence of osteoblast-EVs (N = 3). **P < 0.01, compared with control by two-way ANOVA.