In the context of aging populations worldwide, the incidence of orthopedic diseases such as osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, impaired fracture healing, intervertebral disc degeneration, and bone tumors is on the rise. These conditions not only impact patients' quality of life but also pose a substantial burden on healthcare systems. Current clinical treatment strategies, including pharmacotherapy, surgical interventions, and the use of implantable materials, face numerous challenges, including side effects from prolonged medication use, limited efficacy in bone repair, and inadequate restoration of tissue function. Consequently, there is an urgent need to develop safer, more effective, and sustainable therapeutic strategies.
Natural plant extracts and small-molecule bioactive compounds have emerged as promising candidates for the prevention and treatment of orthopedic diseases and tissue repair. Their multi-target regulatory capabilities, excellent biocompatibility, and minimal side effects render them advantageous. These natural products function through diverse mechanisms, including regulating bone remodeling, exhibiting anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities, promoting angiogenesis, and enhancing osteogenic differentiation, all of which contribute to bone tissue regeneration and reduced degeneration. Recent advancements in systems biology, omics technologies, and materials science have expanded their potential applications, particularly when integrated with nanodelivery systems, biomaterials, and tissue engineering.
This Research Topic aims to address the core question of efficiently translating natural products from "discovery" to "application." The focus will be on elucidating mechanisms, optimizing structures, improving pharmacokinetics, and exploring synergistic applications with modern therapeutic approaches such as nanodelivery systems, bone repair scaffolds, and stem cell therapies. Contributions spanning basic research to translational applications are encouraged, including integrating omics and network pharmacology to uncover key signaling pathways, employing chemical biology and synthetic biology to modify molecular structures and enhance stability, and developing novel delivery systems and combination strategies to accelerate clinical translation.
To gather further insights in translating natural products for orthopedic applications, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes: • Mechanisms of action of natural plant bioactive components in osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, and fracture repair. • Network analysis of natural small molecules based on omics and systems biology. • Strategies for structural modification and pharmacological optimization of natural products. • Development of nanodelivery systems and novel carriers for the application of natural products in orthopedics. • Exploration of combined applications of natural products with bone repair materials and stem cell therapies.
Through these studies, this Research Topic envisions advancing natural products from traditional empirical use to modern precision medicine, paving the way for more effective, safe, and sustainable strategies for treating orthopedic diseases and facilitating tissue repair.
Article types and fees
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
Brief Research Report
Data Report
Editorial
FAIR² Data
General Commentary
Hypothesis and Theory
Methods
Mini Review
Opinion
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
Data Report
Editorial
FAIR² Data
General Commentary
Hypothesis and Theory
Methods
Mini Review
Opinion
Original Research
Perspective
Review
Technology and Code
Keywords: natural products, orthopedic diseases, bone tissue regeneration, mechanisms and signaling, translational application
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.
