Icariin promotes the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of bone-derived mesenchymal stem cells in patients with osteoporosis and T2DM by upregulating GLI-1

The function of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from patients with osteoporosis (OP) is impaired and worsens in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This study aimed to investigate the role of icariin (ICA) on the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of bone-derived MSCs (BMSCs) from patients with OP and T2DM and uncover the potential mechanism. We found that, ICA treatment significantly promoted the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs. A total of 173 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in ICA treatment group. By qPCR validation and gene loss and gain assay, we proved that, ICA promoted the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of impaired BMSCs by upregulating GLI-1. In summary, this study identified 173 DEGs in BMSCs treated with ICA.