Publications by authors named "K A Pirog"
Article Synopsis
- * In studies with miR-324-null mice, researchers found that these mice had increased bone density and thickness, reduced lipid content in bone marrow, and higher bone formation rates, indicating a strong connection between miR-324 and bone maintenance.
- * It was revealed that miR-324-5p targets key regulators in bone cells, such as Pin1 and Runx2, which influence the balance between bone formation and resorption, highlighting the potential for miR-324-related therapies in treating bone diseases.
Article Synopsis
- - The study compares two animal models of post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) using C57Bl6 mice: a non-surgical ACL rupture and a surgical destabilization of the medial meniscus, finding they produce similar pathological changes.
- - Transcriptome profiling and gene ontology analysis revealed that both models share enriched pathways, primarily focusing on anabolic processes.
- - The research highlights the significance of microRNA miR-199-5p, linking its inhibition in human chondrocytes to changes similar to those seen in both OA patients and the animal models, further establishing the ACL model as a useful tool in PTOA research.
Skeletal dysplasias are group of rare genetic diseases resulting from mutations in genes encoding structural proteins of the cartilage extracellular matrix (ECM), signaling molecules, transcription factors, epigenetic modifiers, and several intracellular proteins. Cell division, organelle maintenance, and intracellular transport are all orchestrated by the cytoskeleton-associated proteins, and intracellular processes affected through microtubule-associated movement are important for the function of skeletal cells. Among microtubule-associated motor proteins, kinesins in particular have been shown to play a key role in cell cycle dynamics, including chromosome segregation, mitotic spindle formation, and ciliogenesis, in addition to cargo trafficking, receptor recycling, and endocytosis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMicroRNAs are non-coding RNAs that act to downregulate the expression of target genes by translational repression and degradation of messenger RNA molecules. Individual microRNAs have the ability to specifically target a wide array of gene transcripts, therefore allowing each microRNA to play key roles in multiple biological pathways. miR-324 is a microRNA predicted to target thousands of RNA transcripts and is expressed far more highly in the brain than in any other tissue, suggesting that it may play a role in one or multiple neurological pathways.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- miR-140 is primarily found in cartilage, and its complete deletion in mice leads to growth issues and early signs of arthritis; however, the specific roles of its two forms, miR-140-5p and miR-140-3p, remain unclear.
- A study using small RNA sequencing showed that miR-140-3p is over ten times more abundant than miR-140-5p in human cartilage, with several variations (isomiRs) identified.
- Experimental results demonstrated that the newly identified isomiR, miR-140-3p.1, has a stronger impact on gene regulation than the typical miR-140-3p, affecting hundreds of genes related to cartilage