Downregulation of Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 4 Contributes to Impaired Osteogenic Differentiation of Human Bone Marrow Stem Cells during in vitro Expansion

The in vitro expansion of hBMSCs leads to the downregulation of STAT4, which contributes to the impairment of their osteogenic potential and may affect cell self-renewability. This study provides insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying the loss of osteogenic differentiation during hBMSC expansion and identifies STAT4 as a potential target for hBMSC-based bone regeneration therapies.