Title:The Role of miRNAs in the Differentiation of Adipose-Derived Stem Cells
Volume: 9
Issue: 3
Author(s): Jing Chen, Shuwen Deng, Shu Zhang, Zhaozhao Chen, Songtao Wu, Xiaoxiao Cai, Xingmei Yang, Bin Guo and Qiang Peng
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Adipose-derived stem cells, differentiation, mesenchymal stem cells, miRNA, molecular mechanisms, signaling
pathway.
Abstract: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are defined as a group of endogenous single-stranded noncoding RNAs that have the
ability to downregulate gene expression. Recent research suggests that microRNAs (miRNAs) have a critical role in regulating
the self-renewal and differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). MSCs, isolated from various adult tissue
sources, are able to differentiate into multiple lineages, which are regulated by genetic and epigenetic mechanisms. Adipose-
derived stem cells (ADSCs), originating from the vasculature of adipose tissue, share many properties of bone marrow
mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs). With advantages in both method and quantity of acquisition, ADSCs have become
an alternative source of seeding cells. It has been shown that a complex system including various growth factors, transcription
factors and signaling pathways could temporally control and regulate MSC differentiation into certain types of
mature cells. This review briefly summarizes the biology of miRNAs and ADSCs. We then provide basic information regarding
the molecular mechanisms of miRNA regulation in MSC differentiation and discuss several examples of that
regulation in ADSC differentiation. Last, we provide perspectives on the progress in identification of the functions of
miRNAs in ADSC differentiation.
