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The Role of MicroRNAs in Bone Metabolism and Disease
Yongguang Gao1,2, Suryaji Patil1, Airong Qian1
1Laboratory for Bone Metabolism, Xi'an Key Laboratory of Special Medicine and Health Engineering, Key Laboratory for Space Biosciences and Biotechnology, Research Center for Special Medicine and Health Systems Engineering, NPU-UAB Joint Laboratory for Bone Metabolism, School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China.
Abstract:
Bone metabolism is an intricate process involving various bone cells, signaling pathways, cytokines, hormones, growth factors, etc., and the slightest deviation can result in various bone disorders including osteoporosis, arthropathy, and avascular necrosis of femoral head. Osteoporosis is one of the most prevalent disorders affecting the skeleton, which is characterized by low bone mass and bone mineral density caused by the disruption in the balanced process of bone formation and bone resorption. The current pharmaceutical treatments such as bisphosphonates, selective estrogen receptor modulator, calcitonin, teriparatide, etc., could decrease the risk of fractures but have side-effects that have limited their long term applications. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are one of many non-coding RNAs. These are single-stranded with a length of 19-25 nucleotides and can influence various cellular processes and play an important role in various diseases. Therefore, in this article, we review the different functions of different miRNA in bone metabolism and osteoporosis to understand their mechanism of action for the development of possible therapeutics.
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