Mechanobiological crosstalk among bone cells and between bone and other organs

Bone cells are a series of basic units that make up rigid bone tissue and can sense external mechanical stimuli and generate corresponding intracellular regulatory signals. This mechanotransduction process provides more potential for the regulation of bone homeostasis and has important implications for bone metabolism. In this chapter, we focus on how mechanical signals are transduced among different types of bone cells to coordinate the regulation of bone homeostasis. First, by analyzing the bone tissue mechanical microenvironments at different scales, we summarize the ways extracellular mechanocoupling signals are transduced into intracellular biochemical signals. Second, we examine the biological mechanisms of mechanocoupling signal transmission and transduction in adjacent osteocytes (Oys) in the lacunar–canalicular mechanical microenvironment. Further, as a multicellular-coupled biological process, bone remodeling involves surface effector cells that are in a broader mechanical microenvironment. By clarifying the mechanisms of mechanical signal transmission and transduction between osteoblasts (OBs) and osteoclasts (OCs), we reiterate the importance of mechanotransduction to the regulation of bone remodeling. We also review the current advances in crosstalk between bone, muscle, kidney, and cancer. Finally, we summarize the current status of and advances in bone cell mechanotransduction studies and present considerations for prevention and treatment of bone-related diseases based on mechanical means.