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Highlights in Pathophysiology of the Musculoskeletal System, 2nd Edition
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Highlights in Pathophysiology of the Musculoskeletal System, 2nd Edition

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Pathology, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 April 2025) | Viewed by 34988

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Marta Anna Szychlinska

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics (BiND) University of Palermo, Via del Vespro 129, 90127 Palermo, Italy
Interests: cartilage tissue engineering; mesenchymal stem cells; osteoarthritis; articular cartilage morphology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Rosario Barone

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics, Institute of Human Anatomy and Histology, University of Palermo, 90133 Palermo, Italy
Interests: cell biology; physiology; exercise performance; nutition; sports science; morphology; pathopysiology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Giovanna Calabrese

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno d’Alcontres 31, 98168 Messina, Italy
Interests: regenerative biomaterials; bone tissue engineering; osteoconduction; osteoinduction; osteointegration

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

The musculoskeletal system is an organ system that provides support, shape, and stability, enabling the movement of joints in the human body. It mainly consists of bones, skeletal muscles, tendons, ligaments, intervertebral discs, and articular cartilage tissue, as well as their associated nerves and blood vessels. Due to their primary functions, they are by far the most commonly injured tissues in the body, and musculoskeletal disorders represent one of the most common health problems worldwide. During the past few decades, with the advances in research and technology, much has been discovered concerning the pathophysiological knowledge of the musculoskeletal system. Novel molecular targets have been identified for therapeutic approaches. Innovative methodologies such as tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, gene therapies, drug delivery systems, microgravity conditions, and nutritional interventions have facilitated the development of our understanding of mechanisms of musculoskeletal disorders such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, sarcopenia, muscle wasting, osteoporosis, bone necrosis, and many others.

In this Special Issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences, we focus our attention on the latest discoveries and developments in musculoskeletal system pathophysiology at a molecular level and provide a comprehensive update on the literature accessible to scientists in the field. Thus, we invite investigators from basic, pathophysiological, and translational musculoskeletal system research fields or closely related disciplines to contribute original articles, reviews, communications, and conceptual papers.

Dr. Marta Anna Szychlinska
Dr. Rosario Barone
Dr. Giovanna Calabrese
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • musculoskeletal
  • skeletal
  • tendon
  • ligament
  • intervertebral
  • articular cartilage
  • osteoarthritis
  • rheumatoid arthritis
  • sarcopenia
  • muscle wasting
  • osteoporosis
  • bone necrosis
  • synovium
  • pain
  • inflammation

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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8 pages, 696 KiB  
Article
Effect of Single Session of Swedish Massage on Circulating Levels of Interleukin-6 and Insulin-like Growth Factor 1
by Ville Stenbäck, Inka Lehtonen, Kari Antero Mäkelä, Ghulam Shere Raza, Venla Ylinen, Rasmus Valtonen, Tuomas Hamari, Jaroslaw Walkowiak, Mikko Tulppo and Karl-Heinz Herzig
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(17), 9135; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25179135 - 23 Aug 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2507
Abstract
Massage therapy increases muscle blood flow and heat, relieving pain, improving immune function, and increasing vagal activity. The mechanisms are unclear. Muscles release cytokines and other peptides called myokines. These myokines exert their effects on different tissues and organs in para-, auto-, and [...] Read more.
Massage therapy increases muscle blood flow and heat, relieving pain, improving immune function, and increasing vagal activity. The mechanisms are unclear. Muscles release cytokines and other peptides called myokines. These myokines exert their effects on different tissues and organs in para-, auto-, and endocrine fashion. The aim of this intervention study was to investigate if massage therapy affects circulating myokine levels. A total of 46 healthy, normal-weight subjects (15 men) aged 18–35 were recruited. Forty-five minutes of massage Swedish therapy was applied to the back and hamstrings. Blood samples via cannula were taken at the baseline, during the massage (30 min), end of the massage (45 min), and 30 min and 1 h after the massage. Interleukin 6 (IL-6) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) were measured as surrogate markers by ELISAs. There was a significant increase in IL-6 from 1.09 pg/mL to 1.85 pg/mL over time (Wilks’ Lambda Value 0.545, p < 0.000; repeated measures ANOVA). Pair-wise comparisons showed a significant increase after 1 h of massage. No significant increase was observed in IGF-1 levels. The change in myokine levels was not correlated with muscle mass (p = 0.16, 0.74). The increase in IL-6 suggests that there might be anti-inflammatory effects, affecting glucose and lipid metabolism pathways via IL-6 signaling to muscles, fat tissue, and the liver. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Highlights in Pathophysiology of the Musculoskeletal System, 2nd Edition)
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24 pages, 5969 KiB  
Article
Pathophysiological Aspects of Muscle Atrophy and Osteopenia Induced by Chronic Constriction Injury (CCI) of the Sciatic Nerve in Rats
by Francesca Bosco, Lorenza Guarnieri, Saverio Nucera, Miriam Scicchitano, Stefano Ruga, Antonio Cardamone, Samantha Maurotti, Cristina Russo, Anna Rita Coppoletta, Roberta Macrì, Irene Bava, Federica Scarano, Fabio Castagna, Maria Serra, Rosamaria Caminiti, Jessica Maiuolo, Francesca Oppedisano, Sara Ilari, Filomena Lauro, Luigi Giancotti, Carolina Muscoli, Cristina Carresi, Ernesto Palma, Micaela Gliozzi, Vincenzo Musolino and Vincenzo Mollaceadd Show full author list remove Hide full author list
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(4), 3765; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24043765 - 13 Feb 2023
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3203
Abstract
Skeletal muscle atrophy is a condition characterized by a loss of muscle mass and muscle strength caused by an imbalance between protein synthesis and protein degradation. Muscle atrophy is often associated with a loss of bone mass manifesting as osteoporosis. The aim of [...] Read more.
Skeletal muscle atrophy is a condition characterized by a loss of muscle mass and muscle strength caused by an imbalance between protein synthesis and protein degradation. Muscle atrophy is often associated with a loss of bone mass manifesting as osteoporosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate if chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the sciatic nerve in rats can be a valid model to study muscle atrophy and consequent osteoporosis. Body weight and body composition were assessed weekly. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed on day zero before ligation and day 28 before sacrifice. Catabolic markers were assessed via Western blot and Quantitative Real-time PCR. After the sacrifice, a morphological analysis of the gastrocnemius muscle and Micro-Computed Tomography (Micro-CT) on the tibia bone were performed. Rats that underwent CCI had a lower body weight increase on day 28 compared to the naive group of rats (p < 0.001). Increases in lean body mass and fat mass were also significantly lower in the CCI group (p < 0.001). The weight of skeletal muscles was found to be significantly lower in the ipsilateral hindlimb compared to that of contralateral muscles; furthermore, the cross-sectional area of muscle fibers decreased significantly in the ipsilateral gastrocnemius. The CCI of the sciatic nerve induced a statistically significant increase in autophagic and UPS (Ubiquitin Proteasome System) markers and a statistically significant increase in Pax-7 (Paired Box-7) expression. Micro-CT showed a statistically significant decrease in the bone parameters of the ipsilateral tibial bone. Chronic nerve constriction appeared to be a valid model for inducing the condition of muscle atrophy, also causing changes in bone microstructure and leading to osteoporosis. Therefore, sciatic nerve constriction could be a valid approach to study muscle–bone crosstalk and to identify new strategies to prevent osteosarcopenia. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Highlights in Pathophysiology of the Musculoskeletal System, 2nd Edition)
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Review

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26 pages, 5175 KiB  
Review
Emerging Therapeutic Strategies in Sarcopenia: An Updated Review on Pathogenesis and Treatment Advances
by Alfred Najm, Adelina-Gabriela Niculescu, Alexandru Mihai Grumezescu and Mircea Beuran
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(8), 4300; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25084300 - 12 Apr 2024
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 9961
Abstract
Sarcopenia is a prevalent degenerative skeletal muscle condition in the elderly population, posing a tremendous burden on diseased individuals and healthcare systems worldwide. Conventionally, sarcopenia is currently managed through nutritional interventions, physical therapy, and lifestyle modification, with no pharmaceutical agents being approved for [...] Read more.
Sarcopenia is a prevalent degenerative skeletal muscle condition in the elderly population, posing a tremendous burden on diseased individuals and healthcare systems worldwide. Conventionally, sarcopenia is currently managed through nutritional interventions, physical therapy, and lifestyle modification, with no pharmaceutical agents being approved for specific use in this disease. As the pathogenesis of sarcopenia is still poorly understood and there is no treatment recognized as universally effective, recent research efforts have been directed at better comprehending this illness and diversifying treatment strategies. In this respect, this paper overviews the new advances in sarcopenia treatment in correlation with its underlying mechanisms. Specifically, this review creates an updated framework for sarcopenia, describing its etiology, pathogenesis, risk factors, and conventional treatments, further discussing emerging therapeutic approaches like new drug formulations, drug delivery systems, stem cell therapies, and tissue-engineered scaffolds in more detail. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Highlights in Pathophysiology of the Musculoskeletal System, 2nd Edition)
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17 pages, 2927 KiB  
Review
Knee Osteoarthritis: Epidemiology, Pathogenesis, and Mesenchymal Stem Cells: What Else Is New? An Update
by Riccardo Giorgino, Domenico Albano, Stefano Fusco, Giuseppe M. Peretti, Laura Mangiavini and Carmelo Messina
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(7), 6405; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24076405 - 29 Mar 2023
Cited by 159 | Viewed by 17484
Abstract
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic disease and the most common orthopedic disorder. A vast majority of the social OA burden is related to hips and knees. The prevalence of knee OA varied across studies and such differences are reflected by the heterogeneity of [...] Read more.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic disease and the most common orthopedic disorder. A vast majority of the social OA burden is related to hips and knees. The prevalence of knee OA varied across studies and such differences are reflected by the heterogeneity of data reported by studies conducted worldwide. A complete understanding of the pathogenetic mechanisms underlying this pathology is essential. The OA inflammatory process starts in the synovial membrane with the activation of the immune system, involving both humoral and cellular mediators. A crucial role in this process is played by the so-called “damage-associated molecular patterns” (DAMPs). Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) may be a promising option among all possible therapeutic options. However, many issues are still debated, such as the best cell source, their nature, and the right amount. Further studies are needed to clarify the remaining doubts. This review provides an overview of the most recent and relevant data on the molecular mechanism of cartilage damage in knee OA, including current therapeutic approaches in regenerative medicine. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Highlights in Pathophysiology of the Musculoskeletal System, 2nd Edition)
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