Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have discovered two key regulating genes that govern the cell-fate determination of human bone marrow stem cells (Cell Stem Cell, July 6, 2012, Vol. 11:1, pp. 23-35).
The ability to control whether certain stem cells ultimately become bone cells holds promise for regenerative medicine and potential therapies aimed at treating metabolic bone diseases, according to the university.
UCLA School of Dentistry professor and cancer scientist Dr. Cun-Yu Wang, DDS, PhD, and his research team conducted the study to better understand the epigenetic regulation of stem cell differentiation, in which the structure of genes is modified while the sequence of the DNA is not.
The researchers found that KDM4B and KDM6B, two gene-activating enzymes, can promote stem cells' differentiation into bone cells by removing methyl markers from histone proteins. This process occurs through the activation of certain genes favoring a commitment to one lineage and the concurrent deactivation of genes favoring other lineages.
The findings imply that chemical manipulation of these gene-activating enzymes may allow stem cells to differentiate specifically into bone cells, while inhibiting their differentiation into fat cells.
By studying aging mice, the researchers found that the two enzymes KDM4B and KDM6B could specifically activate genes that promote stem cell differentiation toward bone, while blocking the route toward fat.
