MiR-96 regulates bone metabolism by targeting osterix

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in bone metabolism and aging. Here we show that miR-96 was markedly up-regulated in serum of elderly patients with osteoporosis by miRNA microarray analysis and qRT-PCR. Moreover miR-96 was also up-regulated in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) of aged humans and mice. Our results show that the over-expression of miR-96 reduced osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs, whereas the inhibition of miR-96 increased osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs. At the molecular level, miR-96 regulated osteogenesis by targeting osterix. Interestingly, over-expression of miR-96 in young mice by intravenous injection of agomiR-96 developed a low bone mass due to impaired osteogenesis. However, inhibition of miR-96 in aged mice attenuated the age-related bone loss. Thus, our data suggest that miR-96 regulates osteogenesis and may represent a potential diagnostic marker or therapeutic target for age-related bone loss.