LAUSR

Novel bone regeneration approaches aim to obtain immature osteoblasts from somatic stem cells. Umbilical cord Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stem cells (WJ‐MSCs) are an ideal source for cell therapy. Hence, the study of mechanisms involved in WJ‐MSC osteoblastic differentiation is crucial to exploit their developmental capacity. Here, we have assessed epigenetic control of the Runt‐related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2) osteogenic master regulator gene in WJ‐MSC. We present evidence indicating that modulation of RUNX2 expression through preventing Jumonji AT‐rich interactive domain 1B (JARID1B) histone demethylase activity is relevant to enhance WJ‐MSC osteoblastic potential. Hence, JARID1B loss of function in WJ‐MSC results in increased RUNX2/p57 expression. Our data highlight JARID1B activity as a novel target to modulate WJ‐MSC osteoblastic differentiation with potential applications in bone tissue engineering. Stem Cells 2017;35:2430–2441