A potential therapeutic drug for osteoporosis: prospect for osteogenic LncRNAs

Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2023 Aug 3:14:1219433. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1219433. eCollection 2023.

Abstract

Long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) play essential roles in multiple physiological processes including bone formation. Investigators have revealed that LncRNAs regulated bone formation through various signaling pathways and micro RNAs (miRNAs). However, several problems exist in current research studies on osteogenic LncRNAs, including sophisticated techniques, high cost for in vivo experiment, as well as low homology of LncRNAs between animal model and human, which hindered translational medicine research. Moreover, compared with gene editing, LncRNAs would only lead to inhibition of target genes rather than completely knocking them out. As the studies on osteogenic LncRNA gradually proceed, some of these problems have turned osteogenic LncRNA research studies into slump. This review described some new techniques and innovative ideas to address these problems. Although investigations on osteogenic LncRNAs still have obtacles to overcome, LncRNA will work as a promising therapeutic drug for osteoporosis in the near future.

Keywords: bone formation; homology; lncRNA; miRNA; osteogenic.

Publication types

  • Review
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Gene Editing
  • Humans
  • MicroRNAs*
  • Osteogenesis / genetics
  • Osteoporosis* / drug therapy
  • Osteoporosis* / genetics
  • RNA, Long Noncoding* / genetics

Substances

  • RNA, Long Noncoding
  • MicroRNAs

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (82072106 and 32000924), Science and technology program of Sichuan (2022NSFSC1554 and 23NSFSC6012), Medical Science and Technology Project of the Health Planning Committee of Sichuan (21PJ101), “Take the Lead” Program of Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College (2022JB007), Clinical Research Program of Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College (2021LC008), the Scientific Research Project of the Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College (2021ZD004), and School-level Research Development Program of North Sichuan Medical University (CBY 22-QNA 11).