Stem Cell Research & Therapy (Feb 2019)

miRNA-21 promotes osteogenesis via the PTEN/PI3K/Akt/HIF-1α pathway and enhances bone regeneration in critical size defects

  • Chi Yang,
  • Xiaohan Liu,
  • Kai Zhao,
  • Youming Zhu,
  • Bin Hu,
  • Yong Zhou,
  • Mohan Wang,
  • Yiqun Wu,
  • Chengfei Zhang,
  • Jianguang Xu,
  • Yujie Ning,
  • Duohong Zou

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13287-019-1168-2
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10, no. 1
pp. 1 – 11

Abstract

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Abstract Background Functional reconstruction of maxillofacial bone defects is a considerable clinical challenge. Many studies have emphasized the osteogenic and angiopoietic abilities of stem cells for tissue regeneration. We previously showed that microRNA-21 (miRNA-21) can promote angiogenesis in human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UCBMSCs). In the present study, the role of miRNA-21 in osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow-derived stem cells (BMSCs) was investigated. Methods Western blotting and qPCR were performed to investigate the influences of miRNA-21 on osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs. The effects of miRNA-21 on PTEN/PI3K/Akt/HIF-1α pathway were also assessed using western blotting. To further evaluate the roles of miRNA-21 in osteogenesis in vivo, we conducted animal experiments in rat and canine. New bone formation was assessed using micro-CT and histological methods. Results In the present study, we found that miRNA-21 promotes the migration and osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow-derived stem cells (BMSCs) in vitro. Using gain- and loss-of-function studies, we found that miRNA-21 promoted the osteogenic ability of BMSCs by increasing P-Akt and HIF-1α activation. Finally, we verified the essential role of miRNA-21 in osteogenesis by implanting a miRNA-21-modified BMSCs/β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) composite into critical size defects. Radiography, micro-CT, and histology revealed significantly greater volume of new bone formation in the miRNA-21 group than in the control group. Conclusion In conclusion, our study demonstrated an essential role of miRNA-21 in promoting maxillofacial bone regeneration via the PTEN/PI3K/Akt/HIF-1α pathway.

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