Open Access

REVIEW

How aging affects bone health via the intestinal micro-environment

by HUAN HU^1,2,*, YUE HUANG¹, FANGZHOU LIU¹, QIAN WANG^1,2, YANZI YAO^3,*

1 School of Stomatology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
2 Microbial Resources and Drug Development Key Laboratory of Guizhou Tertiary Institution, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
3 Department of Stomatology, Luoyang Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Luoyang, China

* Corresponding Authors: HUAN HU. Email: ; YANZI YAO. Email:

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Gut Microbiota in Human Health: Exploring the Complex Interplay)

BIOCELL 2024, 48(3), 353-362. https://doi.org/10.32604/biocell.2024.048311

Received 04 December 2023; Accepted 11 January 2024; Issue published 15 March 2024

Abstract

Increasing life expectancy and an aging population lead to age-related bone diseases like osteoporosis and low bone mass more prevalent. These conditions represent a common, costly and chronic burden, not only for elderly but also to society at large. Consequently, elucidating the pathophysiology and developing effective therapies for these diseases is of paramount importance. Recent advances in research have identified the gut as a novel and promising target for addressing bone disorders, giving rise to the concept of the “gut-bone axis”. An in-depth review of the latest insights into the effects of age-related physiological changes in the gastrointestinal tract on bone health is presented in this article. It examines how the “gut-bone” axis interacts with bone aging across various domains, including metabolism, nutrition, intestinal permeability, immunity, and oxidative stress.

---

Keywords

---