RUNX2 and COVID-19: A study investigating how COVID-19 may affect bones and whether it could lead to a higher risk of osteoporosis in the future found that blocking certain genes involved in bone growth, such as collagen I, osteocalcin (OCN), and Runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), with increased expression of a microRNA (miR-4485-3p) affects bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) [84].