Chapter 27 - Regulation of Bone Homeostasis and Regeneration by MicroRNAs

Abstract

Bone loss associated with many diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis, periodontitis, peri-prosthetic loosening and osteoporosis, is a major cause of morbidity and disability in these disorders. In such pathological conditions, normal bone remodeling and homeostasis are often deregulated, which results in unbalanced bone resorption and new bone formation. Current standard antiresorptive therapies, such as bisphosphonates, are not fully sufficient to treat bone damage. Therefore, there is a clinical need to develop complementary therapeutic approaches that can restore homeostatic bone remodeling by suppressing bone resorption and promoting bone regeneration. Studies from the last decade demonstrate the importance of microRNAs (miRNAs) in diverse biological and pathological conditions. As potential therapeutic targets or biomarkers, miRNAs have recently gained rapidly growing research and clinical interest. In this chapter, we will review and discuss the biogenesis and function of microRNAs, advances in the strategies for miRNA target identification, the mechanisms and translational implications of multiple important miRNAs that regulate osteoclasts, osteoblasts/osteocytes, or bone remodeling, and the opportunities and challenges of miRNA-based therapeutics.