MicroRNAs and long non-coding RNAs in cartilage homeostasis and osteoarthritis

Abstract

During the last decade, osteoarthritis (OA) has become one of the most prevalent musculoskeletal diseases worldwide. OA is characterized by progressive loss of articular cartilage, abnormal remodeling of subchondral bone, hyperplasia of synovial cells, and growth of osteophytes, which lead to chronic pain and disability. The pathological mechanisms underlying OA initiation and progression are still poorly understood. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) constitute a large portion of the transcriptome that do not encode proteins but function in numerous biological processes. Cumulating evidence has revealed a strong association between the changes in expression levels of ncRNA and the disease progression of OA. Moreover, loss- and gain-of-function studies utilizing transgenic animal models have demonstrated that ncRNAs exert vital functions in regulating cartilage homeostasis, degeneration, and regeneration, and changes in ncRNA expression can promote or decelerate the progression of OA through distinct molecular mechanisms. Recent studies highlighted the potential of ncRNAs to serve as diagnostic biomarkers, prognostic indicators, and therapeutic targets for OA. MiRNAs and lncRNAs are two major classes of ncRNAs that have been the most widely studied in cartilage tissues. In this review, we focused on miRNAs and lncRNAs and provided a comprehensive understanding of their functional roles as well as molecular mechanisms in cartilage homeostasis and OA pathogenesis.

Sharing Circulating Micro-RNAs between Osteoporosis and Sarcopenia: A Systematic Review

“…However, in addition to imaging modalities and tools for osteosarcopenia diagnosis, the biochemical assessment of bone and muscle metabolism has been also proposed to improve early diagnosis and screening. Furthermore, in recent years, the scientific community has focused its attention on a novel class of potential diagnostic biomarkers, both for osteoporosis and sarcopenia, named circulating cell-free miRs [ 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ]. Several studies have shown that miRs in cultured cells or animal models may play pivotal roles in osteoporosis and sarcopenia, but fewer data are available on circulating miRs [ 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 ].…”

“…Furthermore, in recent years, the scientific community has focused its attention on a novel class of potential diagnostic biomarkers, both for osteoporosis and sarcopenia, named circulating cell-free miRs [ 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ]. Several studies have shown that miRs in cultured cells or animal models may play pivotal roles in osteoporosis and sarcopenia, but fewer data are available on circulating miRs [ 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 ]. Thus, given the increasing prevalence of osteosarcopenia in elderly populations, we systematically evaluated the potential clinical biomarker utility of circulating miRs in patients with a diagnosis of osteoporosis and sarcopenia versus healthy controls and evaluated the shared miRs between these two pathological conditions.…”

“…To overcome the absence of ‘gold standard’ techniques to correctly evaluate muscle and bone, several circulating biomarkers have been explored based on the molecular biological mechanisms of their involvement in the pathogenesis of sarcopenia and osteoporosis. Over the past few decades, a novel kind of RNA, microRNAs (miRs), have attracted great attention from researchers and clinicians as alternative and advanced biomarkers for numerous pathological conditions, leading to the conclusion that miRs are “fingerprints” for specific diseases [ 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ]. MiRs are short, non-coding RNAs of typically 18–22 nucleotides that work as post-transcriptional regulators of protein-coding genes and the non-coding genome [ 21 ].…”

Investigating the Differential Circulating microRNA Expression in Adolescent Females with Severe Idiopathic Scoliosis: A Proof-of-Concept Observational Clinical Study

“…Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are taking on an emerging role in many orthopedic diseases [ 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 ], and among these also in scoliosis. In fact, a number of studies have shown there was a dysregulation of miRNAs in scoliosis and have linked this to the pathogenesis of the disease [ 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 ].…”

MicroRNA Signatures in Cartilage Ageing and Osteoarthritis

“…The miRNAs play an important role in the skeletal system including cartilage and bone development by regulating key processes, such as chondrocyte proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis [ 14 ]. Chondrocyte-specific deletion of DICER in the growth plate of mice reduced the number of proliferating chondrocytes, increased hypertrophic chondrocytes and led to severe skeletal defects and premature death [ 15 ].…”