Table 1 Functions and roles of miRNAs in stem cell reprogramming and differentiation

miR-1 and miR-499

Cardiac muscle regeneration

Cardiomyocyte progenitor cells

[39]

miR-15, miR-29, miR-100, miR-133, miR-199, miR-208

Cardiac development

[40] (review)

miR-16, miR-103, miR-107

Inhibit stem cell proliferation

HSCs

[31]

miR-22

Smooth muscle cell (SMC) differentiation

ESC, adventitia stem cells

[37]

miR-26a

Modulated osteoblast differentiation by targeting Smad1 gene

hADSCs

[34, 35]

miR-26a and -26b

Promote adipogenic differentiation

hADSCs

[82]

miR-29

Regulate collagen production for tendon regeneration and remodeling

Tenocytes

[38]

miR-34 s (miR-34a, b, c)

Suppress cell reprogramming

Somatic cells

[25]

miR-125b

Inhibit osteoblast differentiation

mMSC

[33]

miR-128, miR-181

Inhibit stem cell differentiation

HSCs

[31]

miR-134, miR-296, miR-470

Target Nanog, Oct4 (Pou5f1) and Sox2

mESCs

[14]

miR-143, miR-145

Vascular smooth muscle differentiation.

NCSCs

[12]

miR-145

Promote differentiation by downregulating the pluripotency genes, OCT4, SOX2, and KLF4

hESCs

[29]

miR-181

Promote differentiation by targeting Lin28.

HSCs

[83]

miR-200 family

(a) Suppress Sox2 and E2F3 to promote differentiation into neurons. (b) Promote mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) to enhance OSKM-induced reprogramming.

(a) Neural progenitors; (b) Fibroblast

(a) [84]; (b) [26]

miR-200c, miR-302 s, miR-369 s

Reprogramming somatic cells to iPSCs

Somatic cells

[22]

miR-290 cluster (miR-291-3p, miR-294, miR-295)

Substitute for c-Myc.

MEFs

[85]

Increase efficiency of Oct4, Klf4 and Sox2 (OKS) reprogramming

miR-302s

Conversion of cancer cells to pluripotency.

Cancer cells

[21]

miR-302a

Regulate cell cycle by targeting Cyclin D1

hESCs

[86]

miRNA-302/367 cluster

Reprogram cells into neurons

Fibroblasts

[72]

miR-378

Stem cell survival and vascularization

MSCs

[41]

miR-720

Promote differentiation by repressing the expression of Nanog gene.

DPSCs

[27]