Zhang Mingcai, Lygrisse Kate, Wang Jinxi
Harrington Laboratory for Molecular Orthopedics, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, USA.
Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, USA.
J Arthritis. 2017 Apr;6(2). doi: 10.4172/2167-7921.1000239. Epub 2017 Apr 28.
Although the potential effect of aberrant expression of catabolic and anabolic genes on the development of osteoarthritis (OA) is well-documented, the regulatory mechanism for the expression of these genes in articular chondrocytes remains to be elucidated. The recent advances in epigenetic studies have identified microRNA (miRNA) as one of the epigenetic mechanisms for the regulation of gene expression. This mini review highlights the role of miRNA in the regulation of gene expression in articular chondrocytes and its significance in the pathogenesis of OA, with a discussion on the potential of miRNA as a new biomarker and therapeutic target for OA. Further investigations are required to determine the specificity, sensitivity, and efficacy of miRNA for clinical applications.
尽管分解代谢和合成代谢基因的异常表达对骨关节炎(OA)发展的潜在影响已有充分记录,但这些基因在关节软骨细胞中表达的调控机制仍有待阐明。表观遗传学研究的最新进展已将微小RNA(miRNA)确定为基因表达调控的表观遗传机制之一。本综述重点介绍了miRNA在关节软骨细胞基因表达调控中的作用及其在OA发病机制中的意义,并讨论了miRNA作为OA新生物标志物和治疗靶点的潜力。需要进一步研究以确定miRNA在临床应用中的特异性、敏感性和疗效。