Osteogenic differentiation-related miRNA expression profile of human mesenchymal stem cells

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are the multipotent stem cells of adult human tissues that have the ability to replicate with high proliferative rates and are responsible for the tissue renewal and regeneration. Effective osteogenic differentiation of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) encourages clinical application of the cells in bone regeneration. Regeneration of damaged joints is highly dependent on the presence of MSC in synovia. Synovial membrane-derived MSCs (SM-MSCs) show good multi-lineage differentiation potential, low degree of invasiveness, and are considered as an alternative treatment strategy for arthritis-damaged tissues. Studies in MSCs from different sources identified several miRNAs important for osteogenesis. Less is known about the participation of particular miRNAs in osteogenic differentiation of SM-MSCs, the potential source of MSCs for authologous cell therapy in arthritis. In the present study, the changes in miRNA expression profile occurring during osteogenic differentiation were analyzed in human ADSCs and SM-MSCs by microarray-based and quantitative PCR approaches. We aimed at the identification of miRNAs involved in the maintenance of these MSCs and regulation of osteogenic differentiation of ADSCs and SM-MSCs. MiRNA expression profile was analyzed in synovial membrane-derived (SM-MSCs, 3 cell lines) and adipose-derived (ADSCs, 4 cell lines) stem cells differentiated into osteogenic lineage and compared to undifferentiated cells from the same donors. Two ADSCs cell lines of adipogenic differentiation were included for comparison.