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Copyright ©The Author(s) 2025. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Orthop. Dec 18, 2025; 16(12): 110992
Published online Dec 18, 2025. doi: 10.5312/wjo.v16.i12.110992
Intertwined roles of microRNA-155 and metformin in osteoarthritis: Novel potential diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic modulators
Mantana Paisan, Konstantinos I Papadopoulos, Alexandra Papadopoulou, Weerapong Prasongchean, Phanphen Wattanaarsakit
Mantana Paisan, Konstantinos I Papadopoulos, Department of Research and Development, THAI StemLife, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
Alexandra Papadopoulou, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health Services, Feelgood Lund, Lund 223-63, Skane, Sweden
Weerapong Prasongchean, General Education Center, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
Phanphen Wattanaarsakit, Department of Pharmaceutics and Industrial Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
Author contributions: Paisan M conceived and conceptualized the pathophysiology, designed the review, screened articles obtained through the literature search, drafted the initial manuscript, and reviewed and revised the manuscript; Papadopoulos KI performed the literature search, extracted vital information, contributed to the synthesis of the review, and reviewed and revised the manuscript; Papadopoulou A and Prasongchean W equally assisted in the literature search, aided in extracting additional information and reviewed and revised the manuscript; Wattanaarsakit P coordinated and supervised the literature search, made substantial and direct intellectual contributions, and critically reviewed the manuscript for important intellectual content; all authors approved the submitted final manuscript and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors report no conflicts of interest and have nothing to disclose.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Konstantinos I Papadopoulos, MD, PhD, Department of Research and Development, THAI StemLife, 566/3 THAI StemLife Bldg, Soi Ramkhamhaeng 39 (Thepleela 1), Prachaouthit Road, Wangthonglang, Bangkok 10330, Thailand. kostas@thaistemlife.co.th
Received: June 20, 2025
Revised: July 20, 2025
Accepted: October 20, 2025
Published online: December 18, 2025
Processing time: 180 Days and 15.2 Hours
Core Tip

Core Tip: In osteoarthritis (OA) and its associated risk factors, elevated microRNA-155 (miR-155) regulates systemic and local joint inflammatory mediators, extracellular matrix degradation, and chondrocyte apoptosis, with context-dependent roles in cartilage repair. MiR-155 also shows promise as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker. Metformin exerts cartilage-protective effects via adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase activation, nuclear factor kappa-B inhibition, and possible modulation of miR-155 expression. Combined miR-155-targeted strategies and metformin in OA could enhance anti-inflammation, cartilage-preservation, and joint regeneration through the development of innovative treatments, including novel articular delivery systems and cell-based therapies. Further research is needed to fully understand the molecular underpinnings of this relationship.