MicroRNA expression profiling of exosomes derived from human keloid fibroblasts under hypoxic and normoxic conditions

ABSTRACT: This study aims to investigate the role of exosomal miRNAs derived from keloid fibroblasts (KFs) in promoting angiogenesis and keloid formation. Primary KFs were cultured under hypoxic (3% O2) and normoxic (20% O2) conditions, and exosomes were isolated from the conditioned medium. Small RNA sequencing was performed on these exosomes to identify differentially expressed miRNAs. A total of 6 samples were analyzed, including 3 biological replicates from the hypoxic group (D1-D3, Hypoxic-KFs-exo) and 3 from the normoxic group (C1-C3, Normoxic-KFs-exo). We identified 27 differentially expressed miRNAs, with miR-29a-3p significantly upregulated in hypoxic KFs-exo. Further functional and mechanistic studies revealed that exosomal miR-29a-3p is delivered into human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), where it directly targets VASH1 to promote endothelial proliferation, migration, and tube formation, ultimately enhancing angiogenesis in keloid progression.

ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens

PROVIDER: GSE348938 | GEO | 2026/10/03

REPOSITORIES: GEO