Multi-omics insights into bone tissue injury and healing: bridging orthopedic trauma and regenerative medicine

Abstract

To preserve functionality, bone is an active tissue that can constantly reconstruct itself through modeling and remodeling. It plays critical roles in the body, including maintaining mineral homeostasis, serving as the adult human body's core site of hematopoiesis, and supporting the structures of the body's soft tissues. It possesses the natural regeneration capacity, but large and complex lesions often require surgical intervention. Multiple omics integrate proteomics, metabolomics, genomics, and transcriptomics to provide a comprehensive understanding of biological processes like bone tissue injury and healing in bone tissue regeneration and engineering. Recently, bone tissue engineering and regenerative medicines have offered promising tools for bone regeneration using a multi-omics approach. Thus, this article will highlight the role of multiple omics in understanding bone tissue injury and healing. It will discuss the role of bone tissue engineering in developing bone substitutes that can replace translational medicine. Lastly, new developments in bone tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, along with multi-omics approaches, offer promising tools for bone regeneration.

Keywords: Bone tissue healing; Multi-omics; Orthopedic trauma; Regenerative medicine.

Figure 1

A range of specially designed bioinformatics tools exist to delve into the complex details of bone diseases by studying various areas of biology. These tools play an important role in research in other areas of omics such as genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and transcriptomics. By utilizing these advanced technologies, researchers can gain a comprehensive understanding of the genetic makeup, protein interactions, metabolic pathways, and gene expression patterns associated with bone diseases. This holistic approach enables in-depth analysis and better understanding of the complex biological processes that lead to the onset and development of bone-related diseases (by Figdraw 2.0)

Figure 2

The biological process in bone remodeling. The structural characteristics of bone can be described by two main types of bone tissue: dense bone and cancellous bone. The continuous renewal process of bone tissue, called bone remodeling, is essential for maintaining bone density and regulating mineral balance. During the bone remodeling cycle, osteoclasts, the cells derived from blood stem cells, are responsible for breaking down old or damaged bone tissue. At the same time, osteoblasts, which are derived from mesenchymal stem cells, are directed to these areas to replenish bone tissue that has been cleared by osteoclasts (by Figdraw 2.0). PGE2 prostaglandin E2, IGF insulin-like growth factor, TGF transforming growth factor, VEGF vascular endothelial growth factor

Figure 3

Proteomics, transcriptomics, and epigenomics are the chief omics platforms used to examine bone regeneration in healthy and compromised conditions (by Figdraw 2.0)

Figure 4

Genomic and proteomic methods serve as powerful instruments for monitoring shifts in the expression of genes and proteins during the healing of bone injuries and fractures (by Figdraw 2.0). VEGF vascular endothelial growth factor, HIF-1α hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha, FGF fibroblast growth factors, PDGF platelet-derived growth factor, TGF transforming growth factor

Figure 5

The functional properties and possible uses for the science of potential applications of bone tissue engineering (by Figdraw 2.0)

Figure 6

Material classes utilized in the development of innovative bone substitutes. Reproduced with permission from Figdraw 2.0