The present study is to characterize the role of long intergenic non-coding RNA, regulator of reprogramming (linc-ROR) in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (BMSCs) chondrogenesis, cartilage formation and OA development.
Linc-ROR expression pattern in articular cartilage tissue sample from OA patients were studied by real-time PCR. Linc-ROR lentivirus mediated BMSCs were constructed. In vitro micromass cultured BMSCs chondrogenesis or in vivo MeHA hydrogel encapsulated BMSCs cartilage formation activity were studied. Linc-ROR associating miRNAs which repressed SOX9 expression were characterized by luciferase assay, real-time PCR and Western blot. Linc-ROR was co-transfected with miRNAs into BMSCs to study its rescue effect on SOX9 expression and chondrogenesis activity.
Linc-ROR was down-regulated in articular cartilage tissue from OA patients and was positively correlated with the expression level of SOX9 (R
Taken together, linc-ROR modulated BMSCs chondrogenesis differentiation and cartilage formation by acting as a competing endogenous RNA for miR-138 and miR-145 and activating SOX9 expression. Linc-ROR could be considered as a new diagnostic and therapeutic target for OA treatment.