Single-cell chromatin accessibility atlas decodes bone development, diseases, and regeneration

Bone development, homeostasis, and regeneration are governed by complex, dynamic gene regulatory programs, and these processes are disrupted in numerous skeletal diseases. The epigenetic landscape-particularly chromatin accessibility-dictates transcription factor binding and gene expression, which fundamentally shape bone cell fate and function. In recent years, single-cell chromatin accessibility technologies, most notably single-cell assay for transposase-accessible chromatin using sequencing (scATAC-seq), have revolutionized bone epigenome research and enabled single-cell resolution dissection of the skeletal system.

This review summarizes recent progress in single-cell chromatin accessibility studies in bone biology, and systematically outlines chromatin-accessibility changes in skeletal development, diseases, and regeneration. We introduce cutting-edge single-cell epigenomic mapping technologies, their bone tissue-specific adaptations, and analytical frameworks for multi-omics data integration.

These approaches reveal key biological findings: the identification of bone-resident subpopulations and lineage hierarchies, dynamic enhancer landscapes during osteoblast/chondrocyte differentiation, cellular bases of diseases such as osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, and novel mechanisms of bone tumorigenesis. Moreover, we discuss cross-applications of genomics and functional research, including mapping of disease-associated regulatory elements and emerging epigenome-editing strategies. Finally, we address current challenges, outline future directions, and envision the integration of single-cell epigenomics in precision orthopedics and regenerative medicine.