LncRNA HOTAIR-mediated Wnt/β-catenin network modeling to predict and validate therapeutic targets for cartilage damage

BACKGROUND: Cartilage damage is a crucial feature involved in several pathological conditions characterized by joint disorders, such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Accumulated evidences showed that Wnt/β-catenin pathway plays a role in the pathogenesis of cartilage damage. In addition, it is experimentally documented that lncRNA (long non-coding RNA) HOTAIR plays a key role in the regulation of Wnt/β-catenin pathway based on directly decreased WIF-1 expression. Further, it is reported that Wnt/β-catenin pathway is a potent pathway to regulate the expression of MMP-13, which is responsible for degradation of collagen type II in articular cartilage. It is increasingly recognized that systems modeling approach provides an opportunity to understand the complex relationships and direct quantitative analysis of dynamic network in various diseases. RESULTS: A dynamic network of lncRNA HOTAIR-mediated Wnt/β-catenin pathway regulating MMP-13 is developed to investigate the dynamic mechanism of the network involved in the pathogenesis of cartilage damage. Based on the network modeling, the potential therapeutic intervention point Axin is predicted and confirmed by the experimental validation. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides a promising strategy for revealing potential dynamic mechanism and assessing potential targets which contribute to the prevention of the pathological conditions related to cartilage damage.