In contrast to the accepted notion that bone is involved in systemic energy metabolism, little is known about the energetic processes taking place within bone. In fact, bone metabolism is an energy demanding process, for which both bone formation and resorption require continuous fuel for bone remodeling to occur. Even osteocytes, the mechanosensors of bone and orchestrating osteoblasts and osteoclasts, locally remodel bone in certain conditions. Both osteoblasts and chondrocytes produce large amounts of extracellular matrix as a basis for bone growth and longitudinal growth, respectively, and in case of fracture healing. Within the bone marrow, adipocytes are energy-rich and known to interact with many other cell types within the skeleton, including bone, hematopoietic and cancer cells.
To date, the mechanisms underlying energy acquisition, utilization and propagation by cells within bone are poorly understood in the context of different physiological and pathophysiological conditions including skeletal development, metabolic diseases and bone cancer.
It is vital to increase our knowledge of how bone cells access, utilize and/or generate energy sources. Cells require specific nutrients to proliferate, migrate and differentiate, and, depending on the cell type, need energy to produce extracellular matrix, mineralize, resorb, store fat etc. Importantly, most, if not all, cell types within the skeleton interact, sharing energy sources as intermediates to influence each other's function.
Ultimately, studies focusing on bone-centered energy metabolism should provide opportunities to specifically target processes within bone that lead to the development of treatment modalities for metabolic bone diseases, such as osteoporosis or skeletal consequences of type 2 diabetes and anorexia nervosa.
This research topic aims to comprise novel studies describing energy sources being acquired, utilized and shared by cell types within bone that will shed light on how energy metabolism within the skeleton is orchestrated. Cell types include bone cells, chondrocytes, adipocytes, tumor cells and hematopoietic cells.
Typical themes include but are not limited to:
- Glucose metabolism
- Amino acid metabolism
- Fatty acid storage and metabolism
- Mitochondrial function and oxidative stress pathways
- Synthesis of communication cargo (extracellular vesicles, etc.)
- Extracellular matrix synthesis and degradation
- Fracture healing
- Nutrient utilization and bone metabolic diseases
- Use of nutrients in hematopoiesis
- Energy metabolism in cancer
Etc.
Types of manuscripts could include original research, (mini-)reviews, editorial, methods or clinical trial.
Topic Editor Bram van der Eerden is a consultant for and received financial support from Kyowa Kirin Pharma. The other Topic Editors declare no competing interests with regard to the Research Topic subject.
Keywords: Energy metabolism, Bone metabolism, Bone formation, Bone resorption, Osteoblasts, Osteoclasts, osteocytes, Chondrocytes, Adipocytes
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.
