About this Research Topic
Bone, cartilage, and intervertebral disc are essential to support locomotion and protect vital organs. They undergo age-associated alterations that lead to skeletal pain, chronic disability, and mobility impairment in older adults. It is predicted that by 2060, nearly 25%-40% of the U.S. and China population will be 65 or older. The global pandemic of skeletal disorders, which prevails in up to 50% of older adults is increasing worldwide due to the expansion of aging populations. Despite several identified risk factors, the cellular and molecular mechanisms contributing to age-related skeletal disorders remain unclear. Currently, no efficient treatments have been developed to reverse or prevent those disorders in the elderly population.
The composition and mechanical properties of bone, cartilage, and intervertebral disc deteriorate with age. New insights into the pathological processes, mechanisms, and factors that control bone, cartilage, and disc aging, is identifying pathways that can be targeted to delay these age-related changes. Advances in new technologies, including single-cell sequencing, transcriptomic approaches with spatial resolution, and large-scale high-throughput genomic analysis, shed light on the pathogenesis of age-associated skeletal disorders. The goal of this Special Issue is to collate research to elucidate the differences in normal and aged bone, cartilage, and intervertebral disc, uncover the pathogenesis of age-associated skeletal disorders, and develop potential anti-aging therapies.
The scope of this Research Topic covers, but is not limited to, the following themes and questions:
Comparing healthy and aging-induced bone, cartilage, and intervertebral disc using novel transcriptomic, genomic or epigenomic tools.
Pathogenesis of age-related disorders on- bone, cartilage and intervertebral disc, such as bone loss in menopause women, obesity, diabetes, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, and degeneration
Cellular events in bone, cartilage, and intervertebral disc during aging, such as cellular senescence, inflammation, epigenetic changes, mitochondrial dysfunction, and telomere shortening
New in vitro and in vivo models to advance aging research in bone, cartilage, and disc.
Prognostic marker of age-related disorders on- bone, cartilage and intervertebral disc.
Novel therapy or prevention for age-related disorders on- bone, cartilage and intervertebral disc.
The composition and mechanical properties of bone, cartilage, and intervertebral disc deteriorate with age. New insights into the pathological processes, mechanisms, and factors that control bone, cartilage, and disc aging, is identifying pathways that can be targeted to delay these age-related changes. Advances in new technologies, including single-cell sequencing, transcriptomic approaches with spatial resolution, and large-scale high-throughput genomic analysis, shed light on the pathogenesis of age-associated skeletal disorders. The goal of this Special Issue is to collate research to elucidate the differences in normal and aged bone, cartilage, and intervertebral disc, uncover the pathogenesis of age-associated skeletal disorders, and develop potential anti-aging therapies.
The scope of this Research Topic covers, but is not limited to, the following themes and questions:
Comparing healthy and aging-induced bone, cartilage, and intervertebral disc using novel transcriptomic, genomic or epigenomic tools.
Pathogenesis of age-related disorders on- bone, cartilage and intervertebral disc, such as bone loss in menopause women, obesity, diabetes, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, and degeneration
Cellular events in bone, cartilage, and intervertebral disc during aging, such as cellular senescence, inflammation, epigenetic changes, mitochondrial dysfunction, and telomere shortening
New in vitro and in vivo models to advance aging research in bone, cartilage, and disc.
Prognostic marker of age-related disorders on- bone, cartilage and intervertebral disc.
Novel therapy or prevention for age-related disorders on- bone, cartilage and intervertebral disc.
Keywords: Aging, Bone, Cartilage, Intervertebral Disc, Cellular Senescence
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