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Exercise-induced osteoimmune crosstalk: a virtuous cycle between bone remodeling and immune regulation
1Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China.
Frontiers in Endocrinology
|August 13, 2026
Summary
Exercise promotes bone health by stimulating a positive feedback loop between the skeletal and immune systems. This osteoimmune circuit enhances bone formation and offers new strategies for treating metabolic bone diseases like osteoporosis.
Area of Science:
- Bone immunology
- Skeletal and immune system interactions
- Osteoimmunology
Background:
- Bone and immune systems interact within the bone marrow microenvironment.
- Exercise influences bone homeostasis by balancing osteogenesis and resorption.
- Physical activity modulates immune cells and cytokines, improving immune function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review how exercise initiates a positive osteoimmune circuit.
- To explore exercise's role in bone remodeling and immune regulation.
- To identify exercise-based therapeutic strategies for bone diseases.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of existing literature.
- Analysis of the interplay between mechanical loading and osteoimmune responses.
- Examination of exercise's effects on bone marrow niche and immune polarization.
Main Results:
- Mechanical loading from exercise activates osteocytes and progenitors.
- Exercise reshapes the bone marrow niche, favoring bone formation.
- Physical activity promotes anti-inflammatory immune responses, enhancing bone health.
Conclusions:
- Exercise establishes a feed-forward osteoimmune circuit, creating a virtuous cycle.
- This circuit favors bone formation over resorption, improving bone metabolism.
- Exercise presents a promising non-pharmacological approach for preventing and treating osteoporosis.
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