Could lncRNAs be the Missing Links in Control of Mesenchymal Stem Cell Differentiation?

Abstract

Long suspected, recently recognized, and increasingly studied, non protein-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are emerging as key drivers of biological control and pathology. Since their discovery in 1993, microRNAs (miRNAs) have been the subject of intense research focus and investigations have revealed striking findings, establishing that these molecules can exert multiples levels of biological control in numerous tissues. More recently, long ncRNAs (lncRNAs), the lesser-studied siblings of miRNA, have been suggested to have a similar robust role in developmental and adult tissue regulation. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are an important source of multipotent cells for normal and therapeutic tissue repair. Much is known about the critical role of miRNAs in biogenesis and differentiation of MSCs however; recent studies have suggested lncRNAs may play an equally important role in the regulation of these cells. Here we highlight the role of lncRNAs in the regulation of mesenchymal stem cell lineages including adipocytes, chondrocytes, myoblasts and osteoblasts. In addition, the potential for these noncoding RNAs to be used as biomarkers for disease or therapeutic targets is also discussed.

Identification and Characterization of Long Non-Coding RNAs in Osteogenic Differentiation of Human Adipose-Derived Stem Cells

“…Although the functional roles of transcriptional factors, microRNAs and epigenetic factors in osteogenesis have been extensively studied [30-34], few studies focused on the role and the underlying mechanisms of lncRNAs in this biological process [35]. Moreover, there is no report regarding genome-wide expression and function of lncRNAs in osteogenesis of ASCs.…”

Long noncoding RNAs: emerging players in thyroid cancer pathogenesis

“…lncRNAs include long intergenic noncoding RNA (lincRNA), intronic long noncoding RNA (ilncRNA), natural sense or antisense transcript, promoter-associated long noncoding RNA (paRNA), promoter upstream transcript (PROMPT), repetitive element-associated noncoding RNA, pseudogene long noncoding RNA (plncRNA), transcribed ultraconserved region (T-UCR) and enhancer-like noncoding RNA (elncRNA). Among these ncRNAs, miRNAs are the most extensively studied ncRNAs in human cancers (Huarte 2015, Murugan et al 2015b, Tye et al 2015. Other types of ncRNAs have already been reviewed in thyroid cancer (Li & Wang 2012, Kentwell et al 2014, while this review addresses only lncRNAs in thyroid cancer.…”

“…They epigenetically regulate expressions of many salient genes involved in vital cellular biological processes such as autophagy, cell differentiation, cell cycle regulation, cell proliferation, migration and invasion, apoptosis and mesenchymal stem cell differentiation ( Fig. 1) (Huarte 2015, Tye et al 2015.…”

The lncRNAs involved in mouse airway allergic inflammation following induced pluripotent stem cell-mesenchymal stem cell treatment

“…Some studies reported that lncRNAs played a role in the maintenance and differentiation of MSCs for mature lineages [31], and one report described lncRNA expression patterns in TLR3 that was stimulated in adipose tissue-derived MSCs [18]. However, previous studies focused on the lncRNA profiles in MSCs but not on the targets of MSCs.…”