Research Hotspots and Emerging Trends in Osteoporosis Epigenetics

Abstract

Background: Osteoporosis (OP) and its associated complications have emerged as critical public health challenges worldwide, primarily due to the high rates of disability and mortality they cause. In terms of its complex pathogenesis, epigenetic mechanisms play significant roles. Against this backdrop, this study aims to clarify the current research trends and hotspots in OP.

Methods: Literature was retrieved from the "Web of Science," "PubMed," and "Scopus." Subsequently, publication counts, country distribution, regional collaborations, and keyword analyses were conducted by using the "Bibliometrix" and "ggplot2" packages in R Studio. For visualization analysis, institutional cooperation and keyword relationships were examined using "CiteSpace" and "VOSviewer."

Results: A total of 464 publications were included in this analysis. The five most frequently cited keywords were "postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP)," "expression," "mesenchymal stem-cells (MSCs)," "osteogenic differentiation," and "differentiation." Keyword co-occurrence analysis further identified "expression," "PMOP," and "MSCs" as predominant research themes. Moving forward, the findings suggest that future research will focus on elucidating the role of miRNAs in the epigenetic mechanisms of OP and identifying potential therapeutic targets. Regarding global collaboration, China led in international partnerships, particularly with the United States.

Conclusion: Epigenetic mechanisms constitute a core regulatory factor in OP, serving as the critical link between genetic predisposition and environmental influences. Emerging research emphasizes the combined analysis of epigenetics and metabolomics, artificial intelligence (AI)-based prediction of epigenetic regulatory networks, and gene editing therapies targeting epigenetic factors. Furthermore, therapeutic strategies-including gene therapy, stem cell-based interventions, and small-molecule targeted compounds-represent pivotal future directions for OP therapeutics.

Keywords: artificial intelligence; epigenetics; estrogen; expression; mesenchymal stem cells; osteoporosis.