Expression pattern analysis of m6A regulators reveals IGF2BP3 as a key modulator in osteoarthritis synovial macrophages

Advancing skeletal health and disease research with single-cell RNA sequencing

Orthopedic conditions have emerged as global health concerns, impacting approximately 1.7 billion individuals worldwide. However, the limited understanding of the underlying pathological processes at the cellular and molecular level has hindered the development of comprehensive treatment options for these disorders. The advent of single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) technology has revolutionized biomedical research by enabling detailed examination of cellular and molecular diversity. Nevertheless, investigating mechanisms at the single-cell level in highly mineralized skeletal tissue poses technical challenges. In this comprehensive review, we present a streamlined approach to obtaining high-quality single cells from skeletal tissue and provide an overview of existing scRNA-seq technologies employed in skeletal studies along with practical bioinformatic analysis pipelines. By utilizing these methodologies, crucial insights into the developmental dynamics, maintenance of homeostasis, and pathological processes involved in spine, joint, bone, muscle, and tendon disorders have been uncovered. Specifically focusing on the joint diseases of degenerative disc disease, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis using scRNA-seq has provided novel insights and a more nuanced comprehension. These findings have paved the way for discovering novel therapeutic targets that offer potential benefits to patients suffering from diverse skeletal disorders.

Recent advances of m6A methylation in skeletal system disease

Skeletal system disease (SSD) is defined as a class of chronic disorders of skeletal system with poor prognosis and causes heavy economic burden. m6A, methylation at the N6 position of adenosine in RNA, is a reversible and dynamic modification in posttranscriptional mRNA. Evidences suggest that m6A modifications play a crucial role in regulating biological processes of all kinds of diseases, such as malignancy. Recently studies have revealed that as the most abundant epigentic modification, m6A is involved in the progression of SSD. However, the function of m6A modification in SSD is not fully illustrated. Therefore, make clear the relationship between m6A modification and SSD pathogenesis might provide novel sights for prevention and targeted treatment of SSD. This article will summarize the recent advances of m6A regulation in the biological processes of SSD, including osteoporosis, osteosarcoma, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, and discuss the potential clinical value, research challenge and future prospect of m6A modification in SSD.