Advances in omics technologies for traditional Chinese medicine in the prevention and treatment of metabolic bone diseases

Abstract

Metabolic bone disease (MBD), as one of the most severe metabolic disorders, remains a focal point and challenge in medical research. Numerous studies have demonstrated the efficacy of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in preventing and treating MBD. However, the inherent complexity of TCM metabolites poses significant limitations in elucidating their mechanisms of action. The advancement of omics technologies, including metabolomics, proteomics, and transcriptomics, has greatly facilitated research on MBD. These approaches enable the identification of potential biomarkers and the exploration of metabolic pathways and mechanisms underlying TCM interventions for MBD. Evidence indicates that TCM monomers, single botanical drugs, and herbal formulations are effective, safe, and well-tolerated in MBD prevention and treatment. This review summarizes recent applications and key findings of transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics in studying the mechanisms of TCM interventions for MBD. It highlights the role of omics technologies in uncovering relevant metabolites and pathways under TCM treatment, providing valuable insights and clinical references for TCM-based strategies in managing MBD.

Keywords: metabolic bone disease; metabolomics; proteomics; traditional Chinese medicine (TCM); transcriptomics.

FIGURE 1

Mechanistic map of metabolic bone disease: The pathogenesis of MBD primarily involves four key pathological dimensions: abnormal bone resorption, abnormal bone formation, abnormal mineral deposition, and metabolic factors. ① the core regulatory pathways for abnormal bone resorption are the RANKL/RANK/OPG system, NF-κB and Ca²⁺-NFATc1 signaling pathway. PTH and vitamin D hormones also significantly influence bone resorption. ② Abnormal bone formation mainly involves osteoblast dysfunction. The Wnt/β-catenin and BMP/Smad signaling pathway play key roles in osteoblast differentiation and function. Other signaling pathways such as Hedgehog, Notch, and FGF also participate in the regulation of osteoblasts. ③ Abnormal mineral deposition is primarily manifested as disorders in calcium and phosphorus metabolism. Vitamin D deficiency and parathyroid dysfunction can lead to imbalances in calcium and phosphorus metabolism. Additionally, FGF23 plays a crucial role in the regulation of mineral metabolism. ④ The impact of metabolic factors mainly involves the effects of abnormalities in sugar, fat, and protein metabolism on bone metabolism.

FIGURE 2

Chemical structural: (A) Aucubin; (B) Isopsoralen; (C) Oroxylin A; (D) Psoralen; (E) Icariin; (F) Oleanolic Acid; (G) Lignan.