Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 25, 2026

A Sensitive Visual Method for the Detection of Hydrogen Sulfide Producing Bacteria
Published on: June 27, 2022
Hydrogen sulfide in bone homeostasis: Mechanisms and therapeutic potential
Botian Tan1, Manqing Liu1, Deqian Tang1
1Hospital of Stomatology, Guanghua School of Stomatology, South China Center of Craniofacial Stem Cell Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510055, China.
Abstract:
Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), as an endogenous gaseous signaling molecule, plays a central and complex regulatory role in maintaining bone homeostasis. This review summarizes the current evidence that H₂S participates in skeletal remodeling through coordinated regulation of osteoblast-lineage cells, osteoclasts, macrophage-mediated immune responses, and metabolic stress adaptation. Rather than acting as a simple unidirectional bone-protective factor, H₂S exerts context-dependent effects that are shaped by local concentration, release kinetics, cellular source, disease state, and the surrounding immune-metabolic microenvironment. These properties allow H₂S to serve as a dynamic mediator linking cellular function, microenvironmental remodeling, and skeletal homeostasis. With the development of sustained-release donors, microenvironment-responsive biomaterials, enzyme-modulating approaches, and combination strategies, H₂S-targeted interventions have become a promising direction for bone repair and regeneration. This review integrates cellular mechanisms, disease-associated H₂S synthesis disorders, and translational strategies to clarify the context-dependent role of H₂S in bone homeostasis and to provide perspectives for precision skeletal repair.
Related Concept Videos
Sulfur Assimilation
Essential Minerals for Bone Health
Calcium and Phosphorus
Calcium is a critical component of bones, especially in the form of calcium phosphate and calcium carbonate. Since the body cannot make calcium, it must be obtained from the diet. However, calcium cannot be absorbed from the small intestine without...
Hormones and Bone Tissue
Hormones That Influence Osteoblasts and/or Maintain the Matrix
Several hormones are necessary for controlling bone growth and maintaining the bone matrix. The pituitary gland secretes growth hormone (GH), which, as its name implies, controls bone growth. This happens in several ways: first, it triggers chondrocyte...
Bone Disorders
Bone deposition is also affected by the levels of sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone that promote osteoblast activity and bone matrix synthesis. When the level of these hormones decreases due to aging, it causes a reduction in bone deposition. As a result, bone resorption by osteoclasts...
Bone Remodeling
Microbes and the Sulfur Cycle