Review Article

Epigenetic Regulation in Mesenchymal Stem Cell Aging and Differentiation and Osteoporosis

Table 1

DNA methylation in MSC aging and related diseases.

Regulatory factorsMechanismIn vivo or in vitroConsequenceMaterialsRef.

Senescence and aging
DNMT1↓
DNMT3b↓
Decreases methylation in the promoter region of miRNA targeting Ezh2 to decrease Ezh2 expression, thus inhibiting repressive H3K27me3 formation at p16’s promoter; directly decreases methylation in CDK inhibitor genes p16 and p21In vitroAginghUCSCs[28]
DNMT↓Insufficient to methylate Tert promoter; thus upregulated TERT would repair the shortened telomeres with replicationIn vitroAntisenescencehBMSCs[30]
Skeletal diseases
DNMT1 changesAberrant methylation of ABCB1 gene leads to a dysregulation of glucocorticoidIn vitroONFHhBMSCs[33]
TET1 and TET2↓The depletion of TET causes impeded demethylation of P2rX7 promoter and incapable exosome release, which leads to intracellular accumulated miR-297 targeting Runx2 signaling pathwayBothOsteoporosishBMSCs, mouse BMSCs, mouse model[34]