Decoding Skeletal Biology Through Transcriptomics: Insights from Bulk, Single-Cell, Spatial, and Multi-Omics...

Transcriptomic technologies have revolutionized our understanding of skeletal biology by shifting research from descriptive cellular characterization to a systems-level analysis of bone homeostasis and pathology. The rapid evolution of bulk RNA sequencing (bulk RNA-seq), single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), spatial transcriptomics, and integrative multi-omics approaches has enabled unprecedented resolution of the molecular and cellular complexity of the skeletal microenvironment. Bone remodeling is a tightly regulated process driven by coordinated interactions among bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (BMSCs), osteoblasts, osteoclasts, osteocytes, immune cells, and other bone microenvironment components. This narrative review summarizes recent advances in bulk RNA-seq, scRNA-seq, spatial transcriptomics, and emerging multi-omics approaches that have transformed the study of bone development, remodeling, and disease. We discuss how transcriptomic analyses have revealed the heterogeneity of BMSCs and osteoblasts, elucidated the molecular mechanisms regulating osteoclast differentiation, and identified transcriptional changes associated with osteoclast dysregulation in metabolic, inflammatory, and age-related bone disorders. We further evaluate the limitations of bulk and scRNA-seq, including technical biases, loss of spatial information, and computational challenges. Finally, we highlight how spatial transcriptomics and integrative multi-omics approaches are overcoming these limitations by combining transcriptional, spatial, epigenetic, proteomic, and metabolomic data to provide a comprehensive understanding of skeletal biology, accelerate biomarker discovery, identify novel therapeutic targets, and advance precision medicine for bone diseases.