The Involvement of microRNAs in Bone Remodeling Signaling Pathways and Their Role in the Development of Osteoporosis

Abstract

Bone remodeling, crucial for maintaining the balance between bone resorption and formation, relies on the coordinated activity of osteoclasts and osteoblasts. During osteoclastogenesis, hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) differentiate into the osteoclast lineage through the signaling pathways OPG/RANK/RANKL. On the other hand, during osteoblastogenesis, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) differentiate into the osteoblast lineage through activation of the signaling pathways TGF-β/BMP/Wnt. Recent studies have shown that bone remodeling is regulated by post-transcriptional mechanisms including microRNAs (miRNAs). miRNAs are small, single-stranded, noncoding RNAs approximately 22 nucleotides in length. miRNAs can regulate virtually all cellular processes through binding to miRNA-response elements (MRE) at the 3’ untranslated region (3′UTR) of the target mRNA. miRNAs are involved in controlling gene expression during osteogenic differentiation through the regulation of key signaling cascades during bone formation and resorption. Alterations of miRNA expression could favor the development of bone disorders, including osteoporosis. This review provides a general description of the miRNAs involved in bone remodeling and their significance in osteoporosis development.