Genetics Studies of Bone Disease

A special issue of Genes (ISSN 2073-4425). This special issue belongs to the section "Human Genomics and Genetic Diseases".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 October 2022) | Viewed by 5199

Special Issue Editor


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, 8-39 Medical Sciences Building, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H7, Canada
Interests: growth and maintenance of the skeletal system; inherited disorders affecting bones and joints; osteofibrous dysplasia, primordial dwarfism; genomics of scoliosis; genetics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

There are thousands of Mendelian disorders, and over 500 of these affect bones. Bone diseases represent a common source of morbidity and mortality in our communities, and genetic factors play an important role in their pathogenesis. One of the more common forms of bone disease is osteoporosis, which is characterized by reduced bone mineral density and an increased risk of fracture. Several single-gene disorders are known to cause osteoporosis; however, the genetic basis for this multifactorial condition is largely unknown. Other rare bone diseases include osteopetrosis, multiple exostosis and ultra-rare skeletal dysplasias.  Determining the underlying mechanisms of these rare conditions is crucial not only for the development of targeted therapies but also for a more comprehensive understanding about the genetic processes taking place in our body that direct development and tissue regeneration. From a clinical standpoint, advances in our understanding about the genetic basis of bone disease will enable the development of new biomarkers to assess fracture risk and help in identifing novel therapeutic targets that could have potential for future treatments.

This Special Issue invites papers focusing on genetic disorders of the bone and extracellular matrix in a broad sense. It aims to highlight bone as an essential tissue and to provide new and detailed findings on its role in health and disease.

Dr. Peter Kannu
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. Genes 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 2600 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

  • bone diseases
  • osteopetrosis
  • multiple exostosis
  • various ultra-rare skeletal dysplasias

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

12 pages, 1788 KiB  
Article
Exome Sequencing Identifies a Biallelic GALNS Variant (p.Asp233Asn) Causing Mucopolysaccharidosis Type IVA in a Pakistani Consanguineous Family
by Saima Ghafoor, Karina da Costa Silveira, Raheel Qamar, Maleeha Azam and Peter Kannu
Genes 2022, 13(10), 1743; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes13101743 - 27 Sep 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2348
Abstract
Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS) type IVA is a lysosomal storage disease that mainly affects the skeletal system and is caused by a deficiency of the enzyme N-acetylgalactosamine-6-sulfatase (GALNS). The condition can mistakenly be diagnosed as a primary skeletal dysplasia such as spondylo-epiphyseal dysplasia, which shares [...] Read more.
Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS) type IVA is a lysosomal storage disease that mainly affects the skeletal system and is caused by a deficiency of the enzyme N-acetylgalactosamine-6-sulfatase (GALNS). The condition can mistakenly be diagnosed as a primary skeletal dysplasia such as spondylo-epiphyseal dysplasia, which shares many similar phenotypic features. Here, we utilised whole exome sequencing to make the diagnosis of MPS IVA in a resource poor country. We report for the first time the identification of a biallelic GALNS missense variant (c.697G>A, p.Asp233Asn) in the Pakistani population and highlight the potential contribution that academic institutions can make in rare disease diagnosis in the absence of a developed clinical genetic service. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetics Studies of Bone Disease)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

11 pages, 1517 KiB  
Review
The Roles of SNHG Family in Osteoblast Differentiation
by An-Qi Tan and Yun-Fei Zheng
Genes 2022, 13(12), 2268; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes13122268 - 2 Dec 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2311
Abstract
Small nucleolar RNA host genes (SNHGs), members of long-chain noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), have received increasing attention regarding their roles in multiple bone diseases. Studies have revealed that SNHGs display unique expression profile during osteoblast differentiation and that they could act as [...] Read more.
Small nucleolar RNA host genes (SNHGs), members of long-chain noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), have received increasing attention regarding their roles in multiple bone diseases. Studies have revealed that SNHGs display unique expression profile during osteoblast differentiation and that they could act as promising biomarkers of certain bone diseases, such as osteoporosis. Osteogenesis of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is an important part of bone repair and reconstruction. Moreover, studies confirmed that the SNHG family participate in the regulation of osteogenic differentiation of MSCs in part by regulating important pathways of osteogenesis, such as Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Based on these observations, clarifying the SNHG family’s roles in osteogenesis (especially in MSCs) and their related mechanisms would provide novel ideas for possible applications of lncRNAs in the diagnosis and treatment of bone diseases. After searching, screening, browsing and intensive reading, we uncovered more than 30 papers related to the SNHG family and osteoblast differentiation that were published in recent years. Here, our review aims to summarize these findings in order to provide a theoretical basis for further research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetics Studies of Bone Disease)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop