Yu C, Chen W-P, Wang X-H
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of The Medical College, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
J Int Med Res. 2011;39(1):1-9. doi: 10.1177/147323001103900101.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most prevalent degenerative joint disease and is accompanied by pain and joint dysfunction. Its clinical treatment tends to be unsatisfactory. Novel targets in OA include genes that are involved in OA pathophysiology and have been discovered using gene network, epigenetic and microRNA (miRNA) approaches. miRNA has been implicated in important cellular processes such as lipid metabolism, apoptosis, differentiation and organ development. The importance of miRNA regulation in cellular function is becoming increasingly clear as new miRNA targets are revealed. The present review summarizes the current evidence of the important role played by miRNA in determining the complex gene expression patterns of OA chondrocytes and their role in the regulation of transcription, and possible demethylation mechanisms that might be applicable in OA. In summary, miRNA may have important diagnostic and therapeutic potential, and might provide a novel means of treating OA.
骨关节炎（OA）是最常见的退行性关节疾病，伴有疼痛和关节功能障碍。其临床治疗往往不尽人意。OA的新靶点包括参与OA病理生理学且已通过基因网络、表观遗传学和微小RNA（miRNA）方法发现的基因。miRNA参与了脂质代谢、细胞凋亡、分化和器官发育等重要细胞过程。随着新的miRNA靶点被揭示，miRNA调节在细胞功能中的重要性日益明显。本综述总结了目前关于miRNA在决定OA软骨细胞复杂基因表达模式中所起重要作用的证据及其在转录调控中的作用，以及可能适用于OA的去甲基化机制。总之，miRNA可能具有重要的诊断和治疗潜力，并可能为OA治疗提供一种新方法。
