Letter to the Editor: Sclerostin knockdown in human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells confers superior therapeutic efficacy against steroid-induced osteonecrosis

doi:10.4252/wjsc.115076

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World Journal of Stem Cells

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1948-0210

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Baishideng Publishing Group Inc, 7041 Koll Center Parkway, Suite 160, Pleasanton, CA 94566, USA

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Copyright: ©Author(s) 2026. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. No commercial re-use. See permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.

World J Stem Cells. Jul 26, 2026; 18(7): 115076
Published online Jul 26, 2026. doi: 10.4252/wjsc.115076

Letter to the Editor: Sclerostin knockdown in human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells confers superior therapeutic efficacy against steroid-induced osteonecrosis

Wei Zhang, Wen-Hui Chu

Wei Zhang, Guangdong Eco-Engineering Polytechnic, Guangzhou 510520, Guangdong Province, China

Wen-Hui Chu, School of Life Science, Taizhou University, Taizhou 318000, Zhejiang Province, China

Author contributions: Chu WH and Zhang W contributed to the conceptualization; Chu WH contributed to the writing, reviewing and editing; Zhang W participated in the writing of the original draft; all authors participated in drafting the manuscript and have read and approved the final version of the manuscript.

Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.

Corresponding author: Wen-Hui Chu, PhD, Associate Professor, School of Life Science, Taizhou University, No. 1139 Shifu Avenue, Jiaojiang District, Taizhou 318000, Zhejiang Province, China. jake-chu@hotmail.com

Received: October 9, 2025
Revised: November 22, 2025
Accepted: January 26, 2026
Published online: July 26, 2026
Processing time: 288 Days and 0.5 Hours

Core Tip

Core Tip: This study demonstrates that sclerostin (SOST) gene silencing in human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells enhances their therapeutic efficacy in a steroid-induced osteonecrosis model. Genetically modified SOST-silenced human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells significantly improved bone microarchitecture, promoted osteogenic differentiation, and inhibited adipogenic formation by activating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. This targeted approach effectively restored the bone metabolic balance, positioning SOST-silenced human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells as a promising advanced regenerative strategy for the treatment of steroid-induced femoral head necrosis.