Role of microRNAs in producing and profiling of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell (iPS)
Role of microRNAs in producing and profiling of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell (iPS)
Samaneh Palizban,1,*Leila Amini,2
1. Genetics department, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences 2. Genetics department, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences
Introduction: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a group of non-coding RNAs that are approximately 22 nucleotides long.A known mechanism of their action is preventing the translation of mRNAs or destroying them.
Several studies have investigated the expression profile of miRNAs in various cells, including stem cells. Expanding our knowledge in this area can be used to determine the differentiation state of cells, such as the pluripotency status of stem cells.
This review aims to provide summarized information about the role of miRNAs in producing and profiling Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPS) to gain deeper insight into this widely used and prominent area of cell-based studies and therapies.
Methods: This review was prepared by searching for up-to-date articles on websites such as Pubmed, Scopus, and Google Scholar using the following keywords. Articles corresponding to the specified criteria were selected.
Results: Some studies suggest the role of miRNAs in the specific characteristics of embryonic stem cells (ESCs), such as the ability to renew themselves through division and the potential to produce all cell types.
Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are another type of stem cell that researchers are focused on, which share many features with ESCs, such as pluripotency and the ability to differentiate into the cells of all three embryonic layers. These cells are created by reprogramming somatic cells and provide a common source of stem cells for various scientific purposes, from basic studies to cell-based therapies such as regenerative medicine. iPSCs, however, have a somatic donor memory that facilitates their redifferentiation into their origin tissue. One of the epigenetic role players in this feature is miRNAs, such as the role of miR-155 in keeping the memory of bone marrow-derived iPSCs toward hematopoietic progenitor cells.
For generating iPSCs several methods can be applied to induce a defined set of genes which expression would lead to create embryonic stem cells. These techniques include the use of viral vectors carrying important genes such as Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, c-Myc, or Nanog to cause elevation of their expression.
Researchers have attempted to demonstrate the differences between various miRNAs derived from different types of stem cells. Due to these investigations, increased expression levels of a group of miRNAs, including miR-302 and 17-92 clusters are reported in the iPSCs and hESCs stem cells. It is shown that the treatment of cultured cells with selected microRNA mimics has improved the differentiation of somatic cells into iPSCs.
In another study, fourteen miRNAs were identified, including miR-132 and miR-212, whose repression would lead to improved reprogramming of fibroblast cells and differentiation into iPSCs. The mentioned results are related to the deactivation of other epigenetic factors' inhibitors.
Conclusion: Expanding the database of miRNAome of stem cells will enable researchers to improve methods of classification, production, and assessment of the state and safety of iPSCs. This will allow the utilization of these stem cells with greater safety and efficacy in clinical purposes.