Osteolytic diseases, such as osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteosarcoma, and giant-cell tumors of bone, are characterized by increased bone resorption and decreased bone formation, leading to significant bone loss or erosion. The bone remodeling compartment, which includes osteoblasts, osteoclasts, and endosseous vessels, is critically affected in these diseases and represents a central target for therapeutic intervention. Despite advances in understanding the pathophysiology of osteolytic diseases, effective treatments that can halt or reverse bone loss while promoting new bone formation remain a significant clinical challenge. Recent studies have highlighted the potential of herbal medicines and their bioactive metabolites in inhibiting osteoclast differentiation and promoting osteogenesis. However, the precise mechanisms by which these natural products exert their effects on the bone remodeling compartment are not fully understood, necessitating further investigation into their therapeutic potential and molecular underpinnings.

This research topic aims to explore the effects of herbal medicines and their metabolites on treating and managing osteolytic diseases. The primary objective is to identify and characterize effective herbal medicines and their metabolites or chemically well-characterized extracts that influence the bone remodeling compartment. Specific questions include understanding the biological and molecular mechanisms of bone-vessel coupling and the role of herbal medicine in these processes. The research will also test hypotheses related to the efficacy of these natural products in inhibiting osteoclast activity and promoting osteoblast function.

To gather further insights into the therapeutic potential of herbal medicines in osteolytic diseases, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
- Mechanisms underlying osteolytic diseases and related disorders.
- Innovative prevention and treatment strategies for osteolytic diseases.
- Molecular mechanisms of herbal medicine and their metabolites or chemically well-characterized extracts.
- Screening and evaluation of the active metabolites in herbal medicines.
- Studies on endothelial cells and endosseous vessels.

Please note:

1. Please self-assess your MS using the ConPhyMP tool (https://ga-online.org/best-practice/), and follow the standards established in the ConPhyMP statement Front. Pharmacol. 13:953205. All the manuscripts need to fully comply with the Four Pillars of Best Practice in Ethnopharmacology (you can freely download the full version here). Importantly, please ascertain that the ethnopharmacological context is clearly described (pillar 3d) and that the material investigated is characterized in detail (pillars 2 a and b).

2. Clinical trial articles will be accepted for review only if they are randomized, double-blinded, and placebo-controlled. Statistical power analysis or a justification of the sample size is mandatory.

3. In silico studies like network analyses or docking studies are generally not accepted unless they are followed by an in vitro or in vivo analysis of the material under investigation.

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