The fine tuning role of microRNA-RNA interaction in odontoblast differentiation and disease

Dentinogenesis imperfecta and dentin dysplasia are two common types of genetic oral diseases resulted from the aberrant differentiation of odontoblast. Understanding the mechanisms of odontoblast differentiation is crucial for finding the diagnosis candidate genes and treatment targets for such kinds of diseases. Previous work has identified a battery of transcription factors and growth factors regulating odontoblast differentiation; however, the post-transcriptional regulating mechanisms of them are poorly studied. MicroRNAs (miRNA) are a group of non-coding RNAs widely studied in organ development, inflammation, and tumorigenesis because of its inhibitory effects on the target mRNAs. Also, miRNAs along with their binding targets form a complex competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network where miRNAs serve as the fine tuning balancers between their targets. Recent reports demonstrated the essential role of the miRNA pathway in dentinogenesis and the regulatory role of several specific miRNAs in the in vitro model of odontoblast differentiation. Herein, we will discuss the general roles of miRNA in diseases, the function of miRNAs during odontoblast differentiation, and finally the potential pathological mechanisms through which miRNAs cause the odontoblast-related diseases.