microRNA

Teriparatide

Femoral head

Bone resorption

Receptor

Bone mineral

Avascular necrosis

Anatomy

Bioinformatics

Biology

Gene

Endocrinology

Bone remodeling

Osteoblast

Internal medicine

Bone remodeling period

In vitro

Osteoclast

Bone disease

Osteoporosis

Genetics

Medicine

International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Bone metabolism is an intricate process involving various bone cells, signaling pathways, cytokines, hormones, growth factors, etc., and the slightest deviation can result in various bone disorders including osteoporosis, arthropathy, and avascular necrosis of femoral head. Osteoporosis is one of the most prevalent disorders affecting the skeleton, which is characterized by low bone mass and bone mineral density caused by the disruption in the balanced process of bone formation and bone resorption. The current pharmaceutical treatments such as bisphosphonates, selective estrogen receptor modulator, calcitonin, teriparatide, etc., could decrease the risk of fractures but have side-effects that have limited their long term applications. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are one of many non-coding RNAs. These are single-stranded with a length of 19–25 nucleotides and can influence various cellular processes and play an important role in various diseases. Therefore, in this article, we review the different functions of different miRNA in bone metabolism and osteoporosis to understand their mechanism of action for the development of possible therapeutics.

The Role of MicroRNAs in Bone Metabolism and Disease