Osteocyte-vascular Interactions in Bone Physiology and Pathology

Through their extensive lacuno-canalicular network, osteocytes act as key regulators of bone remodelling and have more recently been recognized as contributors to bone repair. However, these processes occur in a highly vascularized tissue, and the relationship between osteocytes and bone vasculature remains poorly understood. This review summarizes current knowledge on osteocyte-vascular interactions, with a focus on communication mechanisms and their relevance to bone physiology, aging, and disease.

Emerging evidence indicates that osteocyte-vascular communication occurs through several modalities. Indirect signalling involves paracrine factors secreted by osteocytes, including VEGF, sclerostin, neuropeptide Y, as well as extracellular vesicles, which modulate ECs' behaviour. Direct communication has also been suggested through physical interactions between osteocytes and blood vessels, including mitochondrial transfer and potentially gap junctions. Recent studies have also identified lymphatic vessels within bone, raising the possibility of previously unrecognized interactions between osteocytes and the lymphatic vasculature. Together, these findings highlight diverse modes of communications and associated signalling pathways, through which osteocytes may regulate vascular function within bone. Despite emerging insights into osteocyte-bone vasculature crosstalk, the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood. Advances in experimental tools may improve our knowledge of this bidirectional dialogue, providing new perspectives on bone physiology, skeletal pathologies, and potential therapeutic strategies targeting this interaction.