Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)Oct 15, 2026

Mitochondrial Maintenance in Muscle and Bone Diseases: Key Signals and Treatment Options

Longevity & Aging Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗OA ↗

Updated Oct 16, 2026

Abstract

Degenerative musculoskeletal disorders, such as osteoarthritis, are increasingly linked to mitochondrial quality control issues.

Mitochondrial quality control may play a crucial role in degenerative musculoskeletal disorders rather than being merely a result of mechanical damage.
The collapse of the mitochondrial quality control network is associated with the release of mtDNA fragments that can activate immune responses.
Metabolic intermediates linked to mitochondrial dysfunction could potentially alter the epigenome through processes like histone lactylation.
A proposed subtyping system identifies categories based on bioenergetic failure, immune activation, and accumulation of senescent cells, though this remains a hypothesis needing further validation.
Emerging therapies aim to address the root causes of these disorders, focusing on mitochondrial health rather than just symptom relief.

Simplified

Degenerative musculoskeletal disorders, including osteoarthritis (OA), intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD), and osteoporosis (OP), are increasingly viewed as disorders of mitochondrial quality control (MQC) rather than passive mechanical wear. The MQC network, comprising mitochondrial dynamics, mitophagy-biogenesis coupling, and inter-organelle communication, organizes the aging-inflammation-metabolism axis. Its collapse releases mtDNA fragments that act as damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) activating innate immunity via cGAS-STING, and metabolic intermediates that remodel the epigenome through histone lactylation, potentially locking acute stress into a "metabolic memory", although the mtDNA-methylation component remains hypothesis-level. Multi-omics and cell-free mtDNA liquid biopsy underpin a proposed subtyping into bioenergetic failure, immuno-inflammatory activation, and senescent cell accumulation, still a within-OA hypothesis pending independent and cross-disease validation. Therapy is shifting from symptom management toward organelle medicine, including cardiolipin stabilizers, PROTAC-mediated protein degradation, mitochondrial base editing, and engineered mitochondrial transplantation. Metformin has randomized trial evidence in knee OA pending confirmation, NAD+ precursors are in early clinical testing, and SS-31 holds accelerated approval only for Barth syndrome; other strategies remain preclinical. Delivery barriers and disease heterogeneity require precision stratification, biomimetic models, and AI-driven decision-making. This review delineates the shared molecular logic of the three diseases and proposes a prototype subtyping-to-treatment roadmap pending validation.

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Mitochondrial Maintenance in Muscle and Bone Diseases: Key Signals and Treatment Options

Abstract

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