Huifang Niu,1,2,* Minfeng Zhou,1,* Xiaoyun Xu,2 Xiaojuan Xu1 

1Union Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, People’s Republic of China; 2Key Laboratory of Environment Correlative Dietology (Ministry of Education), Hubei Key Laboratory of Fruit Vegetable Processing Quality Control (Huazhong Agricultural University), School of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, People’s Republic of China

*These authors contributed equally to this work

Correspondence: Xiaoyun Xu; Xiaojuan Xu, Email xuxiaoyun@mail.hzau.edu.cn; xu_xiaojuan2009@163.com

Abstract: Postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP) is a major health problem affecting millions of women worldwide. PMOP patients are often accompanied by abnormal accumulation of bone marrow adipose tissue (BMAT). BMAT is a critical regulator of bone homeostasis, and an increasing BMAT volume is negatively associated with bone mass reduction or fracture. BMAT regulates bone metabolism via adipokines, cytokines and the immune system, but the specific mechanisms are largely unknown. This review emphasizes the impact of estrogen deficiency on bone homeostasis and BMAT expansion, and the mechanism by which BMAT regulates PMOP, providing a promising strategy for targeting BMAT in preventing and treating PMOP.

Keywords: postmenopausal osteoporosis, bone marrow adipose tissue, bone metabolism, immune system, cytokines