Epigenetic mechanisms of bone regeneration and homeostasis

Abstract

Bone regeneration is a promising avenue for osteoporosis (OP) treatment. It consists of several procedures, such as the osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells as well as the proliferation and maturation of osteoblasts. Many epigenetic mechanisms are involved in the modulation of bone regeneration, including DNA methylation, histone modifications, and microRNA regulation. These processes functionally modify the genome without changing the nucleotide sequence, leading to changes in gene expression. Past studies have identified the importance of epigenetic mechanisms in bone metabolism. In this review, we will summarize the recent studies in this field to obtain a better understanding of how epigenetic mechanisms participate in bone regeneration and homeostasis. This will provide us a new target for investigating clinical perspectives of osteoporosis treatment.

Keywords: Bone regeneration; DNA methylation; Histone modification; MicroRNA.