title: The role of steroids in mesenchymal stem cell differentiation: molecular and clinical perspectives.
abstract: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent stem cells capable of either self-regeneration or differentiation into more mature cell types, depending on the environmental stimuli. MSCs originate from the mesoderm and differentiate readily into mesodermal tissue. The tissues most studied in that respect are bone, fat and cartilage, and the key molecular elements in these three differentiation pathways are RUNX2, PPARγ and SOX9, respectively. Steroidal molecules play an important role in determining the fate of MSCs, mainly by altering the expression of key cellular molecules. Not all steroids exert the same effects on these cells. This review discusses the effects of sex steroids and glucocorticoids on the proliferative capacity and differentiation patterns of MSCs. With stem-cell-based therapy gaining worldwide attention, we explore the role of steroids in modulating MSCs for clinical and therapeutic purposes. The ease with which some MSCs, such as adipose-derived stem cells, can be harvested from the body and manipulated in the laboratory may lead to increased interest in this era of stem cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Rony H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Salloum
authors.forename: J Peter
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Rubin
authors.forename: Kacey G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Marra