The Roles of LncRNAs in Osteogenesis, Adipogenesis and Osteoporosis

Background: Osteoporosis (OP) is the most common bone disease, which is listed by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the third major threat to life and health among the elderly. The etiology of OP is multifactorial, and its potential regulatory mechanism remains unclear. Long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) are the non-coding RNAs that are over 200 bases in the chain length. Increasing evidence indicates that LncRNAs are the important regulators of osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation, and the occurrence of OP is greatly related to the dysregulation of the bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) differentiation lineage. Meanwhile, LncRNAs affect the occurrence and development of OP by regulating OP-related biological processes. Methods: In the review, we summarized and analyzed the latest findings of LncRNAs in the pathogenesis, diagnosis and related biological processes of OP. Relevant studies published in the last five years were retrieved and selected from the PubMed database using the keywords of LncRNA and OP. Results/Conclusion: The present study aimed to examine the underlying mechanisms and biological roles of LncRNAs in OP, as well as osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation. Our results contributed to providing new clues for the epigenetic regulation of OP, making LncRNAs the new targets for OP therapy.

Automated summary

This review summarizes the latest research on the role of LncRNAs in the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and related biological processes of osteoporosis. The study highlights the important regulatory role of LncRNAs in osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation, providing new insights into the epigenetic regulation of osteoporosis. The findings suggest that LncRNAs may serve as new therapeutic targets for osteoporosis.