Direct conversion of fibroblasts to osteoblasts as a novel strategy for bone regeneration in elderly individuals

Autor: Siyoung Kim, Byounggook Cho, Jongpil Kim, Yujung Chang
Rok vydání: 2019
Předmět:
Zdroj: Experimental & Molecular Medicine
Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Vol 51, Iss 5, Pp 1-8 (2019)
ISSN: 2092-6413
1226-3613
DOI: 10.1038/s12276-019-0251-1
Popis: Mortality caused by age-related bone fractures or osteoporosis is steadily increasing worldwide as the population ages. The pace of the development of bone regeneration engineering to treat bone fractures has consequently increased in recent years. A range of techniques for bone regeneration, such as immunotherapy, allografts, and hydrogel therapy, have been devised. Cell-based therapies using bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells derived from somatic cells are considered to be suitable approaches for bone repair. However, these cell-based therapies suffer from a number of limitations in terms of efficiency and safety. Somatic cells can also be directly differentiated into osteoblasts by several transcription factors. As osteoblasts play a central role in the process of bone formation, the direct reprogramming of fibroblasts into osteoblasts may hence be a new way to treat bone fractures in elderly individuals. Here, we review recent developments regarding the therapeutic potential of the direct reprogramming of cells for bone regeneration.
Fractures: reprogramming cells to reduce risk in the elderly Reprogramming cells that produce connective tissue to form bone instead could help prevent fractures in the elderly. Bones weaken with age, and fractures are a significant health risk in ageing populations. Most current bone regeneration treatments use stem cells, which can differentiate into any type of cell and have infinite capacity to divide; however, they are difficult to source and can lead to tumor formation. Jongpil Kim at Dongguk University in South Korea and coworkers have reviewed a new method that uses genetic signals to transform connective tissue-forming cells into bone-producing cells. The reprogrammed cells have been shown to generate new bone at the desired site, and because they have already lost their capacity for infinite division, tumor formation risk is greatly reduced. This method shows promise to expand treatment options for fractures and osteoporosis.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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