MicroRNAs and their Role in Bone Remodeling and Pathogenesis

MicroRNAs, a class of post-transcriptional gene expression regulators that bind to complementary sequences in the 3’ UTR or 5’ UTR of mRNAs have recently been detected in human body fluids including peripheral blood plasma as extracellular nuclease resistant entities. It is now clear that the biogenesis and functions of microRNAs are related to the molecular mechanisms of various clinical diseases and they can potentially regulate every aspect of cellular activity. This review will highlight our current understanding of microRNA biogenesis and their mechanisms of action. It will also summarize recent works on the role of microRNAs in bone remodeling including angiogenesis, osteoblast and osteoclast differentiation and in various bone related pathologies. An in-depth understanding of the roles of these regulatory mRNAs in the skeleton will be critical for the development of new therapeutics aimed on bone remodeling including fracture repair and bone-related diseases.