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Pharmaceuticals
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The Pharmacological Management of Bone and Muscle Disorders
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The Pharmacological Management of Bone and Muscle Disorders

A special issue of Pharmaceuticals (ISSN 1424-8247). This special issue belongs to the section "Pharmacology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 November 2024 | Viewed by 6586

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Francesca Bosco

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Research for Food Safety and Health (IRC-FSH), Department of Health Sciences, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
Interests: muscle; bone; osteosarcopenia; nutraceuticals; skeletal muscle metabolism; muscle atrophy treatment; osteoporosis treatment

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Skeletal muscles are dynamic tissues capable of adapting in response to a variety of signals. Skeletal muscles experience mass changes as a result of physical activity, metabolism, and hormones. Atrophy is defined as a decrease in the size of a tissue or organ due to a decrease in cell size caused by the loss of organelles, cytoplasm, and proteins. This complex process occurs in skeletal muscle as a consequence of a variety of stressors, including neural inactivity, mechanical unloading, inflammation, metabolic stress, and elevated glucocorticoid levels. Muscle mass, in turn, depends on protein turnover. Muscle atrophy occurs when the rate of protein degradation exceeds that of protein synthesis.  

The integrity of bone tissue is also maintained by a delicate balance between bone resorption (by osteoclasts) and bone formation (by osteoblasts). During physiological aging or pathology, this balance is altered, and pharmacological treatment must be carried out in an attempt to restore the balance. Drugs capable of restoring this balance are valuable for the treatment of pathologies such as osteoporosis, Paget's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, or periodontal disease.

Much less attention has been paid to promoting bone formation with, for example, growth factors or hormones, an approach that would represent a valuable adjunctive therapy for patients receiving bone resorption inhibitors.

This Special Issue of Pharmaceuticals, entitled “The Pharmacological Management of Bone and Muscle Disorders”, focuses on the pharmacological treatment of bone and muscle diseases and will therefore cover recent advances in the treatment of such diseases, including muscle atrophy, osteoporosis, and osteosarcopenia.

This Special Issue aims to collect articles that will further our understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in bone and muscle disorders and the potential of their associated drugs, natural products, growth factors, and hormones. Topics of interest include the development and characterization of novel pharmaceutical approaches. Experimental papers and review articles are both welcome.

Dr. Francesca Bosco
Guest Editor

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. Pharmaceuticals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). 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

  • muscle
  • bone
  • osteosarcopenia
  • nutraceuticals
  • skeletal muscle metabolism
  • pharmacological management

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 708 KiB  
Article
The Use of Osteogenon as an Adjunctive Treatment in Lower Leg Fractures
by Piotr Morasiewicz, Monika Zaborska, Michał Sobczak, Łukasz Tomczyk, Paweł Leyko, Andrzej Bobiński, Joanna Kochańska-Bieri, Daniele Pili and Krystian Kazubski
Pharmaceuticals 2024, 17(11), 1531; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph17111531 - 14 Nov 2024
Viewed by 381
Abstract
Background: The goal of the orthopedic treatment of fractures is to achieve bone union as rapidly as possible in the largest possible number of patients and to minimize the number of complications. The purpose of this study was to assess if the use [...] Read more.
Background: The goal of the orthopedic treatment of fractures is to achieve bone union as rapidly as possible in the largest possible number of patients and to minimize the number of complications. The purpose of this study was to assess if the use of Osteogenon would have a positive effect on radiological and clinical parameters in patients with lower leg bone fractures treated with the Ilizarov method. Methods: We evaluated 26 patients who had their lower leg bone fractures treated with the Ilizarov method and received Osteogenon at our clinic in the years 2021–2023. The control group comprised 25 patients with lower leg bone fractures treated with the Ilizarov method who did not receive Osteogenon. We assessed the following parameters: time to achieving bone union, bone union rate, time to resuming normal physical activity, time to achieving pain relief, the number of patients reporting pain relief, and the rate of complications. Results: The median time to achieve bone union after lower leg bone fracture treated with the Ilizarov method was shorter in the Osteogenon group (108.5 days) compared to the control group (134 days), p < 0.001. Bone union was achieved in all the patients in the Osteogenon group and in 96% of the patients in the control group; the difference was not statistically significant. The median time to resuming normal physical activity was shorter in the Osteogenon group (22.5 weeks) compared to the control group (27 weeks), p < 0.001. The median time to achieving pain relief was shorter in the Osteogenon group (21 weeks) compared to the control group (30 weeks), p < 0.001. The proportion of patients who reported pain relief was 88.46% in the group receiving Osteogenon and 76% in the control group; this difference was not statistically significant. The number of complications was lower in the Osteogenon group (8 patients; 30.77%) compared to the control group (15 patients; 60%), p = 0.035. Conclusions: The use of Osteogenon has a beneficial impact on the treatment of lower leg bone fractures with the Ilizarov method. Osteogenon shortens the time to achieve bone union. Moreover, the use of the ossein–hydroxyapatite complex helps reduce the number of complications and shortens the time to achieve pain relief and to resume normal activities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Pharmacological Management of Bone and Muscle Disorders)
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12 pages, 1279 KiB  
Article
Benign Evolution of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) Type 1 in Patients Treated with Intravenous Neridronate: A Single-Center Real-Life Experience
by Jacopo Ciaffi, Gianluca Festuccia, Claudio Ripamonti, Luana Mancarella, Veronica Brusi, Federica Pignatti, Lucia Lisi, Lisa Berti, Piero Ruscitti, Cesare Faldini and Francesco Ursini
Pharmaceuticals 2024, 17(11), 1500; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph17111500 - 8 Nov 2024
Viewed by 395
Abstract
Objective: To investigate the long-term effects of intravenous neridronate treatment in patients with complex regional pain syndrome type 1 (CRPS) in a real-life setting. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study on consecutive CRPS patients treated at our hospital from February 2018 to July [...] Read more.
Objective: To investigate the long-term effects of intravenous neridronate treatment in patients with complex regional pain syndrome type 1 (CRPS) in a real-life setting. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study on consecutive CRPS patients treated at our hospital from February 2018 to July 2023. All were treated within three months of the onset of CRPS symptoms. The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System 29-Item Health Profile (PROMIS-29) version 2.1 was administered. The main outcome of interest was the evolution of the PROMIS-29 scores from baseline to the last follow-up visit. Patients were categorized as “complete responders” or “non-complete responders”. The association of clinical and demographic variables with a complete response was analyzed using chi-square tests and univariate logistic regression. Results: Thirty-six patients were included, with a median follow-up time of 4.8 years. A significant improvement was noted in the mean numerical pain rating scale (from 6.4 ± 1.9 to 3.1 ± 2.4, p < 0.001), as well as across all PROMIS-29 domains. Physical function improved from 34.2 ± 4.9 to 49.2 ± 9.9, p < 0.001; anxiety from 58.0 ± 6.7 to 49.6 ± 6.9, p < 0.001; depression from 55.3 ± 6.3 to 47.7 ± 6.6, p < 0.001; fatigue from 55.7 ± 7.7 to 50.9 ± 8.7, p < 0.001; sleep disturbance from 53.8 ± 6.8 to 51.3 ± 6.6, p = 0.034; social roles and activities from 41.8 ± 5.2 to 51.8 ± 8.9, p < 0.001; and pain interference from 64.1 ± 5.9 to 52.4 ± 9.9, p < 0.001. The likelihood of achieving a complete response was associated with the male sex, foot or ankle injuries (compared to hand and wrist injuries), and a younger age. No association was found with the type of inciting event or with the body mass index. Conclusions: Our real-life data indicate that early treatment with neridronate leads to substantial benefits in patients affected by CRPS type 1. The strongest responses are seen in young patients, males, and those with lower limb involvement. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Pharmacological Management of Bone and Muscle Disorders)
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17 pages, 8511 KiB  
Article
Anti-Inflammatory and Antioxidant Effects of Irigenen Alleviate Osteoarthritis Progression through Nrf2/HO-1 Pathway
by Xuan Fang, Hongqi Zhao, Tao Xu, Hua Wu and Gaohong Sheng
Pharmaceuticals 2024, 17(10), 1268; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph17101268 - 26 Sep 2024
Viewed by 1175
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent degenerative disease globally, characterized by cartilage degradation and joint dysfunction. Current treatments are insufficient for halting OA progression. Irigenin (IRI), a flavonoid extracted from natural plants with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, has demonstrated potential in mitigating inflammation [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent degenerative disease globally, characterized by cartilage degradation and joint dysfunction. Current treatments are insufficient for halting OA progression. Irigenin (IRI), a flavonoid extracted from natural plants with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, has demonstrated potential in mitigating inflammation and oxidative stress in various diseases; however, its effects on OA remain unexplored. This study aims to evaluate the therapeutic effects of IRI on OA through in vivo and in vitro experiments and to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms. Methods: In vitro, chondrocytes were exposed to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to induce an oxidative stress environment and were then treated with IRI. Western blotting, RT-qPCR, immunofluorescence staining assays, flow cytometry, and apoptosis assays were employed to assess the effects of IRI on chondrocyte matrix homeostasis, inflammatory response, and apoptosis. In vivo, an OA rat model was treated with regular IRI injections, and therapeutic effects were evaluated using micro-CT, histological staining, and immunohistochemistry assays. Results: IRI treatment restored matrix homeostasis in chondrocytes and effectively suppressed H2O2-induced inflammation and apoptosis. Subsequent studies further revealed that IRI exerts its therapeutic effects by activating the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway. Inhibition of Nrf2 expression in chondrocytes partially blocked the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of IRI. In the OA rat model, regular IRI injections effectively ameliorated cartilage degeneration. Conclusions: This study identifies IRI as a promising strategy for OA treatment by modulating inflammation and apoptosis through the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Pharmacological Management of Bone and Muscle Disorders)
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14 pages, 8471 KiB  
Article
Self-Assembled PLGA-Pluronic F127 Microsphere for Sustained Drug Release for Osteoarthritis
by Semee Seon, Yixian Li, Sangah Lee, Yoon Sang Jeon, Dong Seok Kang and Dong Jin Ryu
Pharmaceuticals 2024, 17(4), 471; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph17040471 - 7 Apr 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1303
Abstract
For many years, sustained-release drug delivery systems (SRDDS) have emerged as a featured topic in the pharmaceutical field. Particularly for chronic diseases, such as osteoarthritis, there is a lot of demand for SRDDS because of the long treatment period and repetitive medication administration. [...] Read more.
For many years, sustained-release drug delivery systems (SRDDS) have emerged as a featured topic in the pharmaceutical field. Particularly for chronic diseases, such as osteoarthritis, there is a lot of demand for SRDDS because of the long treatment period and repetitive medication administration. Thus, we developed an injectable PLGA-F127 microsphere (MS) that is capable of the in situ conversion to an implant. The microprecipitation method for PLGA-F127 MS was established, and the physicochemical stability of the products was confirmed. The microspheres were assembled into a single mass in 37 °C aqueous conditions and showed a remarkably delayed drug release profile. First, the release started with no significant initial burst and lagged for 60 days. After that, in the next 40 days, the remaining 75% of the drugs were constantly released until day 105. We expect that our PLGA-F127 MS could be employed to extend the release period of 2 months of medication to 4 months. This could be a valuable solution for developing novel SRDDS for local injections. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Pharmacological Management of Bone and Muscle Disorders)
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16 pages, 9134 KiB  
Article
Traditional Chinese Medicine for Topical Treatment of Skeletal Muscle Injury
by Wing-Sum Siu, Hui Ma, Wen Cheng, Wai-Ting Shum and Ping-Chung Leung
Pharmaceuticals 2023, 16(8), 1144; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph16081144 - 12 Aug 2023
Viewed by 2721
Abstract
Muscle injuries are common musculoskeletal problems, but the pharmaceutical agent for muscle repair and healing is insufficient. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) frequently uses topical treatments to treat muscle injuries, although scientific evidence supporting their efficacy is scarce. In this study, an in vitro [...] Read more.
Muscle injuries are common musculoskeletal problems, but the pharmaceutical agent for muscle repair and healing is insufficient. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) frequently uses topical treatments to treat muscle injuries, although scientific evidence supporting their efficacy is scarce. In this study, an in vitro assay was used to test the cytotoxicity of a topical TCM formula containing Carthami Flos, Dipsaci Radix, and Rhei Rhizoma (CDR). Then, a muscle contusion rat model was developed to investigate the in vivo effect and basic mechanisms underlying CDR on muscle regeneration. The in vitro assay illustrated that CDR was non-cytotoxic to immortalized rat myoblast culture and increased cell viability. Histological results demonstrated that the CDR treatment facilitated muscle repair by increasing the number of new muscle fibers and promoting muscle integrity. The CDR treatment also upregulated the expression of Pax7, MyoD and myogenin, as evidenced by an immunohistochemical study. A gene expression analysis indicated that the CDR treatment accelerated the regeneration and remodeling phases during muscle repair. This study demonstrated that topical CDR treatment was effective at facilitating muscle injury repair. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Pharmacological Management of Bone and Muscle Disorders)
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