| Theme | Regulation and disorders of calcium and phosphate metabolism | |
|---|---|---|
| Title | miRNAs in chondrogenesis | |
| Publish Date | 2014/07 | |
| Author | Satoshi Yamashita | Department of Systems BioMedicine, Graduate School and Faculty of Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University / Department of Systems BioMedicine, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development |
| Author | Hiroshi Asahara | Department of Systems BioMedicine, Graduate School and Faculty of Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University |
| [ Summary ] | MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short non-coding RNAs (approximately 17-24 nucleotide (nt) long) which can repress multiple protein coding gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. MiRNAs do not switch off their target genes completely but rather finely tune their expression. It is now clear that they play a vital role in cell proliferation, differentiation and death, as well as development, metabolism, tumor formation and disease development. Recent studies have elucidated that various miRNAs are expressed and function during chondrogenesis, indicating that miRNAs play critical roles in cartilage formation and homeostasis. The present review summarizes the current progress of miRNA synthesis and function, including expression and function in ralation to chondrogenesis. |
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