Muscle-bone crosstalk and potential therapies for sarco-osteoporosis

Abstract

The nature of muscle-bone crosstalk has been historically considered to be only mechanical, where the muscle is the load applier while bone provides the attachment sites. However, this dogma has been challenged with the emerging notion that bone and muscle act as secretory endocrine organs affect the function of each other. Biochemical crosstalk occurs through myokines such as myostatin, irisin, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-7, IL-15, insulin-like growth factor-1, fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-2, and β-aminoisobutyric acid and through bone-derived factors including FGF23, prostaglandin E₂ , transforming growth factor β, osteocalcin, and sclerostin. Aside from the biochemical and mechanical interaction, additional factors including aging, circadian rhythm, nervous system network, nutrition intake, and exosomes also have effects on bone-muscle crosstalk. Here, we summarize the current research progress in the area, which may be conductive to identify potential novel therapies for the osteoporosis and sarcopenia, especially when they develop in parallel.

Keywords: bone; crosstalk; muscle; myokines; osteoporosis; sarcopenia.

FIGURE 1

Factors affecting crosstalk between bone and muscle. The synergistic mechanical and biochemical communication between bone and muscle are important for their functional optimization. In addition, some other factors including genetic basis, aging, circadian rhythms, nervous system network, nutrition intake, and exosomes can also affect the bone-muscle crosstalk