Epigenetic and Transcriptional Regulation at the Bone-Fat Interface: Implications for Skeletal Health and Joint Degeneration

The global rise in metabolic disorders, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and osteoarthritis, reveals a critical interplay between energy metabolism and skeletal homeostasis. Central to this paradigm is the bone-fat axis. The pathological expansion of bone marrow adipocytes (BMA) actively drives skeletal fragility and disease progression.Under metabolic stress, the skeletal microenvironment is disrupted. Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) lineage allocation shifts heavily toward adipogenesis at the expense of osteogenesis, while metabolic inflammation and lipotoxicity trigger chondrocyte hypertrophy and cartilage degradation.Crucially, these phenotypic shifts are driven by a complex rewiring of epigenetic and transcriptional networks. Systemic metabolic dysfunction disrupts key regulatory mechanisms, including non-coding RNAs, DNA methylation, and chromatin remodelling complexes. By suppressing essential transcriptional co-activators and differentiation axes, this dysregulation dismantles the molecular foundation of bone and cartilage integrity, creating a critical need for targeted therapeutic intervention.The research topic aims to present comprehensive research on metabolic skeletal disorders and the identification of novel epigenetic and transcriptional risk factors. This will enable earlier and more precise evaluation of bone and joint degradation with advanced structural techniques, improve cartilage and bone regeneration through targeted therapeutic pathways, and promote a better understanding of the mechanisms driving the bone-fat axis by clinical and fundamental research.We welcome submissions of original research, reviews, and clinical or epidemiological studies regarding the following sub-topics, including but not limited to:• Fundamental or clinical research deciphering the endocrine crosstalks associated with skeletal metabolism and bone marrow adiposity.• Research utilising advanced structural profiling, biomechanical mapping, and novel in vitro or in vivo reporter systems to evaluate metabolic joint and bone disorders.• Clinical trials or basic translational research exploring novel treatments for osteo-metabolic disorders, including but not limited to small molecule epigenetic modulators, peptide-based therapeutics, and biological delivery systems (e.g., engineered exosomes);• Fundamental studies decoding the underlying epigenetic and transcriptional mechanisms, including complex networks of non-coding RNAs, protein-protein interactions, and chromatin remodelling complexes governing mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) lineage shifts and chondrocyte hypertrophy to promote novel therapies Topic editors: Anirban Sardar, Ritu Trivedi, Ashish Kumar Tripathi Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/82891/epigenetic-and-transcriptional-regulation-at-the-bone-fat-interface-implications-for-skeletal-health-and-joint-degeneration