CCN2 and leukemia: Other genes up-regulated by all leukemia genotypes in BM-MSC were CTGF, Igfbp5 and MGP. Interestingly, both CTGF and Igfbp5 have been independently found to inhibit osteoblast maturation and differentiation [63, 64] while MGP is an ECM protein that has been shown to inhibit mineralization and apoptosis of chondrocytes [65].