Fig. 6.

In vivo evidence of microRNA transfer to bystander cells. a Scheme of experimental protocol. Red = RFP; Green = GFP. b Semiquantitative PCR of Cluster 3 and GFP transgene expression across the four different sorted cell populations. c Relative quantification of microRNA expression in G34 cells recovered from mixed intracranial brain tumors at time of mouse euthanasia (day 12). n = 3 animals/group. d Representative western blot analysis of protein amount in RFP control cells vs. RFP-Cl3. e Survival curve of athymic nu/nu mice (6 per group) intracranially implanted with RFP/GFP control vs. RFP/GFP-Cluster3 mixed in a 1:1 ratio. f Confocal microscopy image of one representative brain per group sacrificed at day 12, showing the two cell populations, at low magnification and ×20 magnification. Scale bars: 1 mm (whole slide); 100 µm (inserts). g Ratio of RFP+/GFP+ cells per ×20 microscopy field (mean ± SD from nine random fields/tumor). h Survival curve of athymic mice (six per group) as described in e, with the addition of 20 mg/kg IP TMZ for 5 days starting at day 7 post implantation (Student’s t test, two tails). *p < 0.05; ****p < 0.0001