Autophagy in bone homeostasis and the onset of osteoporosis

Xing Yin; Chenchen Zhou; Jingtao Li; Renkai Liu; Bing Shi; Quan Yuan; Shujuan Zou

doi:10.1038/s41413-019-0058-7

Autophagy in bone homeostasis and the onset of osteoporosis

Bone Res. 2019 Oct 3:7:28. doi: 10.1038/s41413-019-0058-7. eCollection 2019.

Authors

Xing Yin¹, Chenchen Zhou¹, Jingtao Li¹, Renkai Liu¹, Bing Shi¹, Quan Yuan¹, Shujuan Zou¹

Affiliation

¹ State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 China.

Abstract

Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved intracellular process, in which domestic cellular components are selectively digested for the recycling of nutrients and energy. This process is indispensable for cell homeostasis maintenance and stress responses. Both genetic and functional studies have demonstrated that multiple proteins involved in autophagic activities are critical to the survival, differentiation, and functioning of bone cells, including osteoblasts, osteocytes, and osteoclasts. Dysregulation at the level of autophagic activity consequently disturbs the balance between bone formation and bone resorption and mediates the onset and progression of multiple bone diseases, including osteoporosis. This review aims to introduce the topic of autophagy, summarize the understanding of its relevance in bone physiology, and discuss its role in the onset of osteoporosis and therapeutic potential.

Keywords: Bone; Osteoporosis.