Gold-Standard Protocols for Bone Research

TOPICAL COLLECTIONS

Guest Editors

Cristina Sánchez de Diego

University of Wisconsin-Madison-Carbon Cancer Center

Cristina Sanchez De Diego graduated from the University of Zaragoza in 2015 with a degree in biotechnology. She obtained her PhD in biomedicine from the University of Barcelona in 2021, where she was working on osteocyte differentiation, focusing on the link between metabolism, nuclear transcription reprogramming, and cell fate decision. Then, she moved to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she began to develop new microphysiological systems for the study of the tumor microenvironment in prostate cancer metastasis within the bone marrow. Additional research interests and projects in which she is involved include bone cellular senesce, discovering new therapeutical strategies for Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressive (FOP) and osteoporosis, and developing new microphysiological systems for endodontic research.

Blayne Sarazin

University of Colorado Boulder

Blayne received his degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst in 2017. He is currently working towards obtaining a PhD in mechanical engineering from the University of Colorado in Boulder, where he is currently a PhD candidate. Here, his work focuses on the effects of mechanical stimulation on osteocytes, specifically within the context of bone metastatic breast cancer, both in vitro and in vivo. Additional research interests include using sclerostin inhibitors in tandem with mechanical loading to promote bone anabolism and mitigate tumor-induced osteolysis. Blayne is expected to obtain his PhD by the end of 2023.

Collection Overview

Bone is a dynamic tissue that constantly changes throughout life to adapt to several factors, such as growth, development, mechanical loading, diet, and pathology. Historically, bone has been studied as a mechanical support for the organism. However, recently, new functions of bone have been discovered, including the role of bone as an endocrine organ, its capacity to act as an immunoregulatory system (osteoimmunology), and its link with hematopoiesis. In addition to its physiological function, several pathological processes, including osteoporosis or bone cancer metastasis, have also captivated the scientific community.

Despite its importance, research in this field has been limited due to technical issues. The compact structure of bone, made of collagen fibers and mineral matrix, makes studying cellular dynamics difficult. Furthermore, microscopic imaging of the tissue becomes complicated unless the tissue is decalcified. The low number of cells within bones also hampers the acquisition of high-quality RNA for gene expression and sequencing studies. Moreover, little to no protocols for flow cytometry have been published. Finally, there is a need for the standardization of animal models and parameters used in in vivo studies. Therefore, we have created this Methods Collection to provide gold-standard protocols to aid researchers in developing new strategies for bone research.