Immunological mechanisms in degenerative musculoskeletal and metabolic bone diseases

Background.

Degenerative musculoskeletal diseases and metabolic bone disorders represent a major global health burden, particularly in aging populations. While osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, and Paget’s disease have long been considered primarily mechanical or metabolic in nature, growing evidence highlights the crucial contribution of immune-mediated mechanisms in their pathogenesis and progression. Likewise, inflammatory arthritides, traditionally defined by their autoimmune and autoinflammatory origins, share several pathogenic pathways with degenerative and metabolic conditions, including chronic low-grade inflammation, altered cytokine signaling, and dysregulated bone remodeling. Understanding the complex interplay between immunity, tissue degeneration, and systemic metabolic alterations may open new therapeutic avenues and redefine how these disorders are conceptualized and treated.

Goal

This Research Topic aims to bring together recent advances that elucidate the immunological basis of both classical autoimmune/inflammatory rheumatic diseases and conditions historically regarded as degenerative or metabolic. Contributions are expected to explore shared pathogenic mechanisms, biomarkers, and therapeutic targets across this spectrum. By integrating findings from arthritis, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, and Paget’s disease, this Topic seeks to highlight converging biological pathways such as the role of innate immunity, adaptive immune dysregulation, cytokine networks, and the impact of environmental and nutritional factors. Moreover, the Research Topic encourages translational approaches, from molecular insights to clinical interventions, to bridge the gap between bench and bedside. The ultimate goal is to foster a holistic view of musculoskeletal and bone health where immune processes are recognized as central drivers of disease.

Scope and Information for Authors

We welcome the submission of Original Research, Reviews, Mini Reviews, and Perspectives on themes including, but not limited to:

• Immunological mechanisms in osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, Paget’s disease, and other metabolic bone disorders

• Shared immune and inflammatory pathways across degenerative and autoimmune arthritis

• Cytokine and chemokine networks in joint and bone homeostasis

• Biomarkers of inflammation and immune activation in musculoskeletal degeneration

• Nutritional and environmental modulators of immune responses in bone and joint disease

• Translational approaches targeting immune pathways for prevention or therapy

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Conceptual Analysis
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Conceptual Analysis
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Immunology; Osteoarthritis; Osteoporosis; Arthritis; Paget’s disease; Bone remodeling; Cytokines; Inflammation; Musculoskeletal degeneration; Nutrition

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.