Musculoskeletal disorders are the leading contributor to disability, affecting approximately 1.71 billion people worldwide. Due to population growth and aging, the number of people living with musculoskeletal conditions is rapidly increasing. It has been demonstrated that physical and mental aspects of quality of life are greatly impacted in individuals living with rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis and other impaired musculoskeletal health. The role of extracellular vesicles (EVs) in various musculoskeletal diseases has received a growing amount of research interest in recent years. EVs carry proteins, lipids, metabolites, cytokines and nucleic acids and thus play a pivotal role in numerous physiological and pathophysiological processes in musculoskeletal tissues by mediating intercellular communications, although the mechanism is unclear. While it is acknowledged that cell therapies hold great promise for providing effective repair of tissue regeneration, growing evidence suggests that EVs have significant potential as a novel alternative to whole-cell therapies for musculoskeletal disorders.

The aim of this Research Topic is to provide a comprehensive review of the role of EVs in various musculoskeletal disorders and the mechanism by which EVs can contribute to musculoskeletal tissue homeostasis and development. The second goal is to develop a fundamental understanding of how the cell sources can influence the cargo of EVs and thus the unique tendency to the therapy of musculoskeletal disorders. The third objective is to make a contribution in optimizing the EVs cargo profile to improve the therapeutic applications of EVs for age-associated musculoskeletal disorders.

We welcome submissions of Original Research Articles, Reviews, Mini-Reviews, Methods, Protocols, Perspectives, and Technology Reports that address, but are not limited to, the following topics:

• The role of EVs in age-associated musculoskeletal diseases
• The role of EVs in musculoskeletal development, homeostasis and regeneration
• The impact of EV sources on the therapeutic potential of musculoskeletal conditions
• The effect of pathophysiological musculoskeletal microenvironment on the cargo of EVs
• Engineering strategies for customizing EV cargo to treat age-associated musculoskeletal diseases
• EVs as a cell-free anti-aging therapeutic tool for musculoskeletal disorders

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Frontiers in Aging

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