Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2026, Vol. 30 ›› Issue (25): 6610-6620.doi: 10.12307/2026.295

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Role of bone–blood axis in bone mass regulation and hematopoietic function maintenance

Hong Linling1, 2, Zhang Kunpeng1, 2, Zheng Liming3, Ye Baodong1, 2, Liu Jingjing1, 2   

  1. 1First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310060, Zhejiang Province, China; 2First Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, Zhejiang Province, China; 3Orthopedics Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310009, Zhejiang Province, China 
  • Received:2025-11-11 Revised:2025-12-23 Online:2026-09-08 Published:2026-04-23
  • Contact: Liu Jingjing, PhD, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310060, Zhejiang Province, China; First Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, Zhejiang Province, China Co-corresponding author: Zheng Liming, PhD, Distinguished Research Fellow, Orthopedics Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310009, Zhejiang Province, China Co-corresponding author: Ye Baodong, PhD, Professor/Chief physician, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310060, Zhejiang Province, China; First Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, Zhejiang Province, China
  • About author:Hong Linling, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310060, Zhejiang Province, China; First Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, Zhejiang Province, China
  • Supported by:
    National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 32401092 (to ZLM); “Renhe Excellent Doctoral Talent Program” of The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (to LJJ)

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The bone marrow serves not only as a primary hematopoietic organ but also as an essential component of bone tissue. The bone marrow microenvironment is a critical niche for maintaining hematopoietic stem cell function, while the hematopoietic process, in turn, regulates bone mass homeostasis. The precise synergistic effect between the skeletal and hematopoietic systems maintains the health of both systems, but a systematic summary of the interactions between these two systems is still lacking.
OBJECTIVE: To systematically review the research progress on the interaction between the skeletal and hematopoietic systems, aiming to provide a reference for their mutual regulation, and to explore potential therapeutic targets for hematological diseases such as anemia and leukemia, and skeletal diseases such as osteoporosis and osteoarthritis through analysis of previous literature.
METHODS: We searched the CNKI, WanFang, and PubMed databases for literature related to the article's topic from January 2000 to July 2025, using search terms such as "bone mass regulation, hematopoietic function, bone marrow microenvironment, bone and blood axis." We selected works, research papers, and review articles, ultimately including 115 articles for analysis.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) This study systematically expounds the bidirectional regulatory network of the "bone-blood axis" in the bone marrow microenvironment and its core mechanisms. (2) The research results show that the bone marrow microenvironment, as a dynamic system composed of various cellular and non-cellular components, not only precisely regulates the quiescence, self-renewal and differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells through core signaling pathways such as Wnt/β-catenin, Notch, nuclear factor κB receptor activator/nuclear factor κB receptor activator ligand/osteoplastin and Hippo-YAP, but also receives reverse regulation from the hematopoietic system. (3) This bidirectional dialogue also dominates the bone remodeling process, in which immune cells (such as macrophages and T lymphocytes) secrete specific factors and become the key bridges connecting the skeletal system and the hematopoietic system. (4) The imbalance of this dialogue network is an important pathological basis for the occurrence of cross-system diseases such as osteoporosis, myelofibrosis and leukemia. (5) This article uses the "bone-blood axis" as a framework to understand the bone marrow microenvironment, providing a new perspective for revealing the co-pathogenesis of hematological and skeletal diseases; targeting the key signaling nodes of this axis or using coordinated intervention strategies (such as denosumab and romiplostim), is expected to open up new paths for the integrated treatment of cross-system diseases in the future.

Key words: bone mass regulation, hematopoietic function, bone marrow microenvironment, bone-blood axis, hematological diseases, therapeutic targets

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