title: MicroRNAs in bone diseases.
abstract: MicroRNAs are small, noncoding single-stranded RNAs that have emerged as important posttranscriptional regulators of gene expression, with an essential role in vertebrate development and different biological processes. This review highlights the recent advances in the function of miRNAs and their roles in bone remodeling and bone diseases. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small (∼22 nt), noncoding single-stranded RNAs that have emerged as important posttranscriptional regulators of gene expression. They are essential for vertebrate development and play critical roles in different biological processes related to cell differentiation, activity, metabolism, and apoptosis. A rising number of experimental reports now indicate that miRNAs contribute to every step of osteogenesis and bone homeostasis, from embryonic skeletal development to maintenance of adult bone tissue, by regulating the growth, differentiation, and activity of different cell systems inside and outside the skeleton. Importantly, emerging information from animal studies suggests that targeting miRNAs might become an attractive and new therapeutic approach for osteoporosis or other skeletal diseases, even though there are still major concerns related to potential off target effects and the need of efficient delivery methods in vivo. Moreover, besides their recognized effects at the cellular level, evidence is also gathering that miRNAs are excreted and can circulate in the blood or other body fluids with potential paracrine or endocrine functions. Thus, they could represent suitable candidates for becoming sensitive disease biomarkers in different pathologic conditions, including skeletal disorders. Despite these promising perspectives more work remains to be done until miRNAs can serve as robust therapeutic targets or established diagnostic tools for precision medicine in skeletal disorders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neurosciences, University of Siena, Policlinico Santa Maria alle Scotte, Viale Bracci, 53100, Siena, Italy. gennari@unisi.it.
authors.forename: L
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-6833-4232
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gennari
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neurosciences, University of Siena, Policlinico Santa Maria alle Scotte, Viale Bracci, 53100, Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bianciardi
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neurosciences, University of Siena, Policlinico Santa Maria alle Scotte, Viale Bracci, 53100, Siena, Italy.|Division of Genetics and Cell Biology, Age Related Diseases, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Merlotti
mesh_terms: D001847:Bone Diseases / Q000235:genetics*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000502:physiology; D010010:Osteoclasts / Q000502:physiology; D010012:Osteogenesis / Q000235:genetics; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs
keywords: Bone remodeling; Fracture; MicroRNA; Osteoporosis; Small noncoding RNA