About this Research Topic
Aging as the top single risk factor for diseases can seriously affect the health of the body. Initially, atrophy and dysregulated function were found to be keys for the aging of individual organs. Recently, increasing basic and clinical evidence suggested that the aging processes of different organs are chronologically and metabolically connected. The musculoskeletal system, nervous system, respiratory system, endocrine system, cardiovascular system, skin system, and reproductive system, are affected by aging to a greater or lesser extent and are proven to crosstalk and interact with each other via nervous, circulatory, hormone, and lymphatic networks during aging process. The dysfunctional communication between these organs or systems drives the development of degenerative diseases and defines the aging state of the body. Although aging represents the progressive functional decline of the whole organism, different organs show different patterns of change. The dynamic, chronological, and systematic features of aging have been identified and proved to be vital facets in individual organ aging.
The musculoskeletal system not only provides mechanical and motor support for the body, but also functions as an endocrine organ through regulation of minerals and secretion of hormones. Aging causes degenerative musculoskeletal diseases, including osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, sarcopenia, and intervertebral disc herniation, and changes the way these cells communicate with other organs. Given that these musculoskeletal diseases often appear in multimorbidity (coexistence with two or more chronic conditions including cardiovascular, metabolic, renal, or pulmonary diseases), it is reasonable to postulate that the development of them is not only independently induced by several "risk factors", but also results from dysfunction of multiple organs and systems.
This Research Topic aims to unveil and summarize the mechanism of systematic regulation and organ crosstalk during the development of degenerative musculoskeletal diseases. It will help us better understand the aging process of bone and muscle and develop therapeutical strategies to address aging-associated diseases.
We encourage contributions to this topic in the form of original research, reviews, practice guides, or opinion pieces that include, but are not limited to:
● Regulatory networks that contribute to the pathogenesis, progression, and therapeutic progression of degenerative musculoskeletal diseases at the population, animal model, and cellular levels
● Recent advances in the relationship between endocrine system dysregulation and musculoskeletal diseases to aid understanding of the endocrine system's role in bone metabolism, as well as to explore future research directions and how to facilitate clinical translation to the treatment of musculoskeletal disease, Alzheimer's disease, and cardiovascular diseases
● Crosstalk among the nervous, respiratory, cardiovascular, skin, reproductive, gastrointestinal, and urinary systems with bone and muscle degeneration during body aging
● Identification of new circulatory biomarkers or cells or surveillance methods, which aids the prediction of musculoskeletal diseases.
The musculoskeletal system not only provides mechanical and motor support for the body, but also functions as an endocrine organ through regulation of minerals and secretion of hormones. Aging causes degenerative musculoskeletal diseases, including osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, sarcopenia, and intervertebral disc herniation, and changes the way these cells communicate with other organs. Given that these musculoskeletal diseases often appear in multimorbidity (coexistence with two or more chronic conditions including cardiovascular, metabolic, renal, or pulmonary diseases), it is reasonable to postulate that the development of them is not only independently induced by several "risk factors", but also results from dysfunction of multiple organs and systems.
This Research Topic aims to unveil and summarize the mechanism of systematic regulation and organ crosstalk during the development of degenerative musculoskeletal diseases. It will help us better understand the aging process of bone and muscle and develop therapeutical strategies to address aging-associated diseases.
We encourage contributions to this topic in the form of original research, reviews, practice guides, or opinion pieces that include, but are not limited to:
● Regulatory networks that contribute to the pathogenesis, progression, and therapeutic progression of degenerative musculoskeletal diseases at the population, animal model, and cellular levels
● Recent advances in the relationship between endocrine system dysregulation and musculoskeletal diseases to aid understanding of the endocrine system's role in bone metabolism, as well as to explore future research directions and how to facilitate clinical translation to the treatment of musculoskeletal disease, Alzheimer's disease, and cardiovascular diseases
● Crosstalk among the nervous, respiratory, cardiovascular, skin, reproductive, gastrointestinal, and urinary systems with bone and muscle degeneration during body aging
● Identification of new circulatory biomarkers or cells or surveillance methods, which aids the prediction of musculoskeletal diseases.
Keywords: Aging, Senescence, Bone metabolism, Bone degeneration, Organ crosstalk
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.
