title: Fate decision of mesenchymal stem cells: adipocytes or osteoblasts?
abstract: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), a non-hematopoietic stem cell population first discovered in bone marrow, are multipotent cells capable of differentiating into mature cells of several mesenchymal tissues, such as fat and bone. As common progenitor cells of adipocytes and osteoblasts, MSCs are delicately balanced for their differentiation commitment. Numerous in vitro investigations have demonstrated that fat-induction factors inhibit osteogenesis, and, conversely, bone-induction factors hinder adipogenesis. In fact, a variety of external cues contribute to the delicate balance of adipo-osteogenic differentiation of MSCs, including chemical, physical, and biological factors. These factors trigger different signaling pathways and activate various transcription factors that guide MSCs to commit to either lineage. The dysregulation of the adipo-osteogenic balance has been linked to several pathophysiologic processes, such as aging, obesity, osteopenia, osteopetrosis, and osteoporosis. Thus, the regulation of MSC differentiation has increasingly attracted great attention in recent years. Here, we review external factors and their signaling processes dictating the reciprocal regulation between adipocytes and osteoblasts during MSC differentiation and the ultimate control of the adipo-osteogenic balance.
authors: The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Institutes for Translational Medicine, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China.|Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.
authors: Q
authors: Q
authors: Chen
authors: Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.
authors: P
authors: 0000-0001-7685-7471
authors: P
authors: Shou
authors: Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Zheng
authors: Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Jiang
authors: Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Cao
authors: Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.
authors: Q
authors: Q
authors: Yang
authors: Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Cao
authors: Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Xie
authors: Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Velletri
authors: Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.
authors: X
authors: X
authors: Zhang
authors: Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Xu
authors: The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Institutes for Translational Medicine, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China.|Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA.
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Zhang
authors: The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Institutes for Translational Medicine, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China.
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Yang
authors: The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Institutes for Translational Medicine, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Hou
authors: Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.
authors: Y
authors: Y
authors: Wang
authors: The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Institutes for Translational Medicine, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China.|Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.|Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA.
authors: Y
authors: Y
authors: Shi
mesh_terms: D017667:Adipocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000378:metabolism; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs; D003907:Dexamethasone