The multiple therapeutic applications of miRNAs for bone regenerative medicine

With the aging of the general population, there is an increasing need for bone defect repair, prompting the development of reliable alternatives to autologous bone grafting, without the usually associated major drawbacks (i.e., limited volume and severe postoperative pain). Given the crucial role that miRNAs appear to have in bone tissue physiopathology, exploring their potential has recently garnered increased interest. In this review, we first describe the involvement of miRNAs in bone metabolism, and then focus on their potential therapeutic applications (as bone biomarkers and molecular targets). We also highlight the as yet unsolved biological (i.e., off-target effects) and technological (i.e., specific delivering) challenges associated with their use.