Abstract
Folic acid, a crucial B vitamin with established roles in various physiological processes, has gained recognition for its association with neural and cardiovascular health, cancer prevention, and metabolic syndrome. Despite these multifaceted roles, its specific influence on bone health, especially during fetal development, remains underexplored. This study employed induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) of human to simulate in vivo osteogenic differentiation, comprehensively investigating the influence of folic acid on bone formation. As a result, a substantial increase in calcium deposition was revealed by addition of folic acid into the osteogenic differentiation of iPSCs, indicating an augmented capacity for mineralized tissue formation. The expression of key osteogenic genes (RUNX2, COL1A1, Osteocalcin, PHEX) consistently showed upregulation across various stages of osteogenic differentiation. Additionally, temporal effects of folic acid were observed, emphasizing its positive impact during the early preosteoblast stage. The role of folic acid in promoting the differentiation of preosteoblasts into osteoblasts was further confirmed using MC3T3-E1 cells. These findings provide novel insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the influence of folic acid on bone formation, highlighting the specific stages of osteogenic differentiation where its effects are most pronounced.
