title: Osteogenic Differentiation in Healthy and Pathological Conditions.
abstract: This review focuses on the osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC), bone formation and turn-over in good and ill skeletal fates. The interacting molecular pathways which control bone remodeling in physiological conditions during a lifelong process are described. Then, alterations of the molecular pathways regulating osteogenesis are addressed. In the aging process, as well as in glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis, bone loss is caused not only by an unbalanced bone resorption activity, but also by an impairment of MSCs' commitment towards the osteogenic lineage, in favour of adipogenesis. Mutations affecting the expression of key genes involved in the control of bone development occur in several heritable bone disorders. A few examples are described in order to illustrate the pathological consequences of perturbation in different steps of osteogenic commitment, osteoblast maturation, and matrix mineralization, respectively. The involvement of abnormal MSC differentiation in cancer is then discussed. Finally, a brief overview of clinical applications of MSCs in bone regeneration and repair is presented.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Section of Internal Medicine D, University of Verona, 37128 Verona, Italy. mariateresa.valenti@univr.it.
authors.forename: Maria Teresa
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Valenti
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Section of Internal Medicine D, University of Verona, 37128 Verona, Italy. luca.dallecarbonare@univr.it.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dalle Carbonare
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, Section of Biology and Genetics, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy. monica.mottes@univr.it.
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mottes
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001847:Bone Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D001861:Bone Regeneration; D006801:Humans; D045164:Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D010012:Osteogenesis
keywords: Pigment Epithelium Derived Factor (PEDF); Runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2); Wingless-Type MMTV Integration Site Family (WNT); bone; mesenchymal stem cells; microRNAs; osteoblasts; osteopenia; remodeling