Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), including osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and sports injuries, are characterized by loss of bone and joint function that requires extensive treatments and long periods of recovery. The major risk factors of MSDs include physical, psychosocial and individual factors. MSDs have a negative impact on the health quality of life, causing mental and physical stress, and are becoming the leading contributors to years lived with disability worldwide, affecting people of all ages.
Musculoskeletal tissues are complex units, with compositional, mechanical, structural and cellular heterogeneity. The underlying molecular mechanisms for MSDs have not been fully elucidated, and the current clinical repair methods for musculoskeletal tissues are not without their drawbacks. Some disease-modifying MSDs drugs at the fundamental and pre-clinical investigation stage may be a promising solution for the prevention at an early stage. Tissue engineering approaches combining cell and biomaterial strategies to reconstruct the complex and functional musculoskeletal tissue are still under active research. Virus and non-virus gene modification of implanted cells is a powerful tool to further manipulate the cell phenotype for successful tissue repair. Cell-free regenerative therapies, including cell homing and extracellular vesicles, may also lead to musculoskeletal tissue repair depending on the microenvironment. Understanding the biomarkers and signaling involved in MSDs’ phenotype, early diagnosis, and prognosis may greatly facilitate the personalized repair and future drug and biomaterials development.
The Research Topic of the current supplementary issue aims to gather recent research in MSDs for cartilage, bone, ligament, tendon, muscle injury and repair, from mechanism to translational therapeutic strategies.
This Research Topic welcomes Original Research, and Review articles covering subjects related, but not limited, to:
1. Molecular signaling involved in the repair of musculoskeletal tissue
2. Gene therapy, cell homing, nanomedicine including extracellular vesicles for musculoskeletal tissue regeneration
3. New therapeutic targets development in MSDs
4. Biomaterials facilitating cell transplantation for musculoskeletal tissue engineering
5. Interaction between biomaterials and tissue-specific stem cells
6. Clinical trials targeting musculoskeletal tissue repair
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), including osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and sports injuries, are characterized by loss of bone and joint function that requires extensive treatments and long periods of recovery. The major risk factors of MSDs include physical, psychosocial and individual factors. MSDs have a negative impact on the health quality of life, causing mental and physical stress, and are becoming the leading contributors to years lived with disability worldwide, affecting people of all ages.
Musculoskeletal tissues are complex units, with compositional, mechanical, structural and cellular heterogeneity. The underlying molecular mechanisms for MSDs have not been fully elucidated, and the current clinical repair methods for musculoskeletal tissues are not without their drawbacks. Some disease-modifying MSDs drugs at the fundamental and pre-clinical investigation stage may be a promising solution for the prevention at an early stage. Tissue engineering approaches combining cell and biomaterial strategies to reconstruct the complex and functional musculoskeletal tissue are still under active research. Virus and non-virus gene modification of implanted cells is a powerful tool to further manipulate the cell phenotype for successful tissue repair. Cell-free regenerative therapies, including cell homing and extracellular vesicles, may also lead to musculoskeletal tissue repair depending on the microenvironment. Understanding the biomarkers and signaling involved in MSDs’ phenotype, early diagnosis, and prognosis may greatly facilitate the personalized repair and future drug and biomaterials development.
The Research Topic of the current supplementary issue aims to gather recent research in MSDs for cartilage, bone, ligament, tendon, muscle injury and repair, from mechanism to translational therapeutic strategies.
This Research Topic welcomes Original Research, and Review articles covering subjects related, but not limited, to:
1. Molecular signaling involved in the repair of musculoskeletal tissue
2. Gene therapy, cell homing, nanomedicine including extracellular vesicles for musculoskeletal tissue regeneration
3. New therapeutic targets development in MSDs
4. Biomaterials facilitating cell transplantation for musculoskeletal tissue engineering
5. Interaction between biomaterials and tissue-specific stem cells
6. Clinical trials targeting musculoskeletal tissue repair
