Figure 3.

Intercellular exchanges of non-coding RNAs by means of EVs among bone-resident cells. Non-coding RNAs exerting osteopenic activity (increase in osteoclastogenesis or decrease in osteogenesis) are reported. Only ncRNAs directly found encompassed in EVs are reported in the figures. The arrows indicate the origin-to-destination direction between cells (donor to target cell). 1: soluble myostatin, released by aging muscle, affects osteocytes in a paracrine manner, reacting with the drop in endogenous miR-218a (↓miR-218a). The miR-218a-poor EVs released by the affected osteocytes are taken up by osteoblasts, contributing to the perturbation of osteogenesis.