Autophagic damage in senescent bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells: Impact on Piezo1 expression during osteoporosis progression

Piezo1 expression was downregulated in bone tissues of patients with osteoporosis and ovariectomized mice.

• Aging and estrogen deficiency in osteoporosis lead to oxidative stress that impairs bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cell (BMSC) function.
• Increased senescence markers were observed in BMSCs from osteoporotic conditions.
• Oxidative stress was associated with reduced Piezo1 expression and a shift in BMSC differentiation towards fat cells instead of bone-forming cells.
• Impaired autophagic flux in senescent BMSCs was noted, which could be restored by activating autophagy with rapamycin.
• Rapamycin treatment enhanced Piezo1 expression, alleviated senescence, and improved bone mass and structure in ovariectomized mice.

AI simplified