About this Research Topic
Skeletal conditions affect most people throughout their lifespan, from dental problems and scoliosis in early adolescence, through sport injuries and trauma in prime years, to long-lasting debilitating conditions such as osteoporosis and arthritis later in life. Despite decades of research, our understanding of the biology of the skeletal system is limited, and treatments continue to largely rely on surgical interventions.
The recent development of novel methods at system-wide scales has transformed the vantage point from which we can now ask fundamental biological questions about skeletal biology and disease. We no longer are limited to traditional single gene, master regulator studies in a single model system; instead, biologists can now address questions at the intersection of disciplines juxtaposing established or unique model systems with big data approaches at molecular, cellular, and quantitative levels. This juxtaposition offers new possibilities for addressing long-standing questions in skeletal biology and disease pathophysiology.
We aim to assemble a collection of cutting-edge communications that will broaden our understanding of craniofacial, axial and locomotor skeleton, and point to new possibilities for disease treatment. We are interested in studies that advance our understanding of skeletal biology and disease mechanism from the intersection of advanced experimental methods in animal models. We are especially interested in modern approaches and other unique vantage points.
We encourage contributions from developmental, cell, and evolutionary biologists, geneticists, and computational and molecular scientists that advance our understanding of skeletal system biology.
We welcome the submission of Original Research, Methods, Review and Mini-Review articles, Study Protocols, and Hypothesis-generating manuscripts that cover, but are not limited to, the following topics:
• Disease models of skeletal systems, including teeth, intervertebral disc, ligaments, and tendons
• Animal and cell culture models of craniofacial, axial, and appendicular skeleton
• Big data approaches, including RNA-Seq, metabolomics, and proteomics
• Quantitative genetic approaches to gene function and disease phenome
• Morphometrics and imaging of skeletal tissues
Studies on bone marrow biology, bone cancer (primary or metastatic), biomechanics and biomaterials will be considered out of scope for this collection.
The recent development of novel methods at system-wide scales has transformed the vantage point from which we can now ask fundamental biological questions about skeletal biology and disease. We no longer are limited to traditional single gene, master regulator studies in a single model system; instead, biologists can now address questions at the intersection of disciplines juxtaposing established or unique model systems with big data approaches at molecular, cellular, and quantitative levels. This juxtaposition offers new possibilities for addressing long-standing questions in skeletal biology and disease pathophysiology.
We aim to assemble a collection of cutting-edge communications that will broaden our understanding of craniofacial, axial and locomotor skeleton, and point to new possibilities for disease treatment. We are interested in studies that advance our understanding of skeletal biology and disease mechanism from the intersection of advanced experimental methods in animal models. We are especially interested in modern approaches and other unique vantage points.
We encourage contributions from developmental, cell, and evolutionary biologists, geneticists, and computational and molecular scientists that advance our understanding of skeletal system biology.
We welcome the submission of Original Research, Methods, Review and Mini-Review articles, Study Protocols, and Hypothesis-generating manuscripts that cover, but are not limited to, the following topics:
• Disease models of skeletal systems, including teeth, intervertebral disc, ligaments, and tendons
• Animal and cell culture models of craniofacial, axial, and appendicular skeleton
• Big data approaches, including RNA-Seq, metabolomics, and proteomics
• Quantitative genetic approaches to gene function and disease phenome
• Morphometrics and imaging of skeletal tissues
Studies on bone marrow biology, bone cancer (primary or metastatic), biomechanics and biomaterials will be considered out of scope for this collection.
Keywords: Animal models, RNA-Seq, skeleton, teeth, tendons, cartilage, bone, disease phenome
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.
