ArticleJournal of orthopaedic surgery and research2026
MiR-21 promotes osteogenic transformation in ankylosing spondylitis fibroblasts and modulates bone metabolism in a murine arthritis model potentially involving the MAPK NF-κB pathway.
Article in Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
backgroundAnkylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by pathological bone formation. Synovial fibroblasts are key effector cells in this process, and their dysregulated osteogenic transformation is a critical event. The role of microRNA‑21 (miR‑21) and the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/nuclear factor kappa-B (NF‑κB) pathway in inflammation and bone metabolism is established; however, whether miR‑21 promotes AS fibroblast osteogenesis specifically via this pathway is unclear. This study aimed to determine whether miR-21 promotes osteogenic transformation and bone metabolism in AS synovial fibroblasts via the MAPK/NF‑κB pathway.
methodsGain‑ and loss‑of‑function of miR‑21 was achieved in AS synovial fibroblasts by transfection with miR‑21 mimic or inhibitor, followed by evaluation of proliferation, osteogenic differentiation (alkaline phosphatase/alizarin red staining), and MAPK/NF‑κB pathway activity. In a proteoglycan‑induced arthritis (PGIA) mouse model, miR‑21 was inhibited by Antagomir to assess spinal pathology, serum inflammatory cytokines, bone metabolism markers, and MAPK/NF‑κB signaling.
resultsIn vitro, miR-21 overexpression significantly promoted fibroblast proliferation, osteogenic differentiation, and activated the MAPK/NF-κB pathway, while its inhibition had opposite effects. In vivo, AntagomiR-21 treatment ameliorated spinal cartilage damage, reduced serum levels of inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α) and bone metabolism markers (RANKL/OPG), and suppressed the MAPK/NF-κB pathway in PGIA mice.
conclusionsOur findings suggest that miR-21 is associated with synovial fibroblast proliferation and osteogenesis, potentially via the MAPK/NF‑κB pathway, and that its inhibition alleviates inflammatory arthritis phenotypes in mice. These observations indicate that miR‑21 may warrant further investigation as a candidate target in AS-related inflammation and cartilage pathology.
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