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Updated: Oct 4, 2025

Mechanism of Regulation of Adipocyte Numbers in Adult Organisms Through Differentiation and Apoptosis Homeostasis
Published on: June 3, 2016
Epigenetic regulation by long noncoding RNAs in osteo-/adipogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stromal cells and
Kai Xia1, Li-Yuan Yu1, Xin-Qi Huang1
1State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China.
Abstract:
Bone is a complex tissue that undergoes constant remodeling to maintain homeostasis, which requires coordinated multilineage differentiation and proper proliferation of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs). Mounting evidence indicates that a disturbance of bone homeostasis can trigger degenerative bone diseases, including osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. In addition to conventional genetic modifications, epigenetic modifications (i.e., DNA methylation, histone modifications, and the expression of noncoding RNAs) are considered to be contributing factors that affect bone homeostasis. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) were previously regarded as 'transcriptional noise' with no biological functions. However, substantial evidence suggests that lncRNAs have roles in the epigenetic regulation of biological processes in MSCs and related diseases. In this review, we summarized the interactions between lncRNAs and epigenetic modifiers associated with osteo-/adipogenic differentiation of MSCs and the pathogenesis of degenerative bone diseases and highlighted promising lncRNA-based diagnostic and therapeutic targets for bone diseases.
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