Primary cilia gene defects in BMSCs induce idiopathic scoliosis

Abstract

This paper investigated the role of cilia gene defects in bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs) in idiopathic scoliosis (IS). IS, a spinal deformity commonly occurring in adolescence, impacts patients' quality of life. Cilia, axial filaments covered by the cell membrane and composed of microtubules on the eukaryotic cell surface, include motile cilia and primary cilia. Primary cilia on the surface of most cells mediate intracellular signaling pathways. Cilia dysfunction correlates with skeletal diseases. Defects in cilia genes disrupt osteogenic signaling pathways in BMSCs, promoting IS progression. By sample analysis, lentiviral transfection of BMSCs, and in vivo experiments in zebrafish, we explored the impact of cilia gene defects on BMSCs' osteogenic signaling pathways and IS, revealing that defects impaired ciliogenesis, cellular signaling, and mechanical sensing, and affected vertebral alignment and skeletal patterning. These findings highlight the role of cilia gene defects in IS pathology, providing potential targets for clinical treatment.

Keywords: Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells; Ciliopathy; Mechanotransduction; Spinal deformity; Zebrafish model.