microRNAs That Control Muscle Loss and Joint Health

microRNAs That Control Muscle Loss and Joint Health

2020 Scientific Review

Original Paper: “Role of microRNA in Muscle Regeneration and Diseases Related to Muscle Dysfunction in Atrophy and Osteoarthritis”

Brzeszczynska J., Brzeszczynski F., et al. • Bone & Joint Research • 2020; 9(11): 798–807

What Is This Paper About?

Skeletal muscle can shrink and weaken (a process called atrophy) because of aging, disuse, illness, or joint disease. Muscle weakness around a joint also worsens osteoarthritis. This review examines how tiny RNA molecules called microRNAs (miRNAs) control muscle stem cells and how their imbalance contributes to muscle wasting and related joint problems.

How Muscle Regenerates

Muscle contains special stem cells called satellite cells. When muscle is damaged or stressed, these cells wake up, multiply, and mature into new muscle fibers. MicroRNAs tightly control each step of this process—keeping the stem cells quiet when not needed, allowing them to grow when repair is required, and guiding them into mature muscle.

microRNAs and Muscle Atrophy

When the normal balance of microRNAs is disturbed, muscle can waste away. Different conditions (aging, immobilization, cancer-related cachexia, chronic disease) alter different sets of miRNAs, but several patterns appear repeatedly:

  • Some miRNAs (including members of the miR-29 family, miR-125b, miR-143-3p, and the let-7 family) can impair new muscle growth by interfering with key signals such as IGF-1.
  • Others (such as miR-26a, miR-675, miR-146b, and miR-431) help protect muscle by limiting harmful pathways like excessive TGF-β signaling.
  • Changes in miR-206, miR-23, and related “myomiRs” (muscle-specific microRNAs) also influence how satellite cells behave during prolonged inactivity or aging.

The Link to Osteoarthritis

Muscle and joints function as a unit. Weak muscles around a joint increase stress on the cartilage, while joint inflammation can accelerate muscle loss. Several of the same microRNAs that appear in muscle atrophy also show altered levels in osteoarthritis. This shared molecular signature suggests that therapies aimed at restoring healthy miRNA balance might benefit both the muscle and the joint.

Potential Practical Uses

Biomarkers: Many of these microRNAs circulate in the blood, so measuring them could one day help track muscle health, detect early atrophy, or monitor response to exercise or treatment.

Therapeutic targets: In the longer term, carefully adjusting specific miRNAs might slow muscle wasting or support better regeneration, especially in older adults or people with joint disease.

Important Caveats

  • Most detailed evidence still comes from animal models and laboratory experiments.
  • No single clear “miRNA signature” yet works the same way across all types of muscle atrophy.
  • Safe, targeted delivery of miRNA-based therapies to human muscle remains a major challenge.

Bottom Line

MicroRNAs are central controllers of muscle stem-cell behavior and of the balance between muscle growth and muscle loss. Their disruption contributes to atrophy in aging, disuse, and disease, and overlaps with processes that worsen osteoarthritis. Better understanding these tiny molecules may eventually lead to new ways to diagnose, monitor, and treat common musculoskeletal problems.

Source

Brzeszczynska J, Brzeszczynski F, Hamilton DF, McGregor R, Simpson AHRW. Role of microRNA in muscle regeneration and diseases related to muscle dysfunction in atrophy and osteoarthritis. Bone & Joint Research. 2020;9(11):798-807.

DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.911.BJR-2020-0178.R1

This summary was prepared in plain language for general understanding and does not replace the original scientific publication or medical advice.