Magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles accelerate osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells via modulation of long noncoding RNA INZEB2

Nanomaterials are increasingly used for biomedical applications; thus, it is important to understand their biological effects. Previous studies suggested that magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) have tissue-repairing effects. In the present study, we explored cellular effects of IONPs in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and identified the underlying molecular mechanisms. The results showed that our as-prepared IONPs were structurally stable in MSCs and promoted osteogenic differentiation of MSCs as whole particles. Moreover, at the molecular level, we compared the gene expression of MSCs with or without IONP exposure and showed that IONPs upregulated long noncoding RNA INZEB2, which is indispensable for maintaining osteogenesis by MSCs. Furthermore, overexpression of INZEB2 downregulated ZEB2, a factor necessary to repress BMP/Smad-dependent osteogenic transcription. We also demonstrated that the essential role of INZEB2 in osteogenic differentiation was ZEB2-dependent. In summary, we elucidated the molecular basis of IONPs' effects on MSCs; these findings may serve as a meaningful theoretical foundation for applications of stem cells to regenerative medicine.