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Call for papers - Nutrition and metabolism in musculoskeletal disorders

Guest Editors:
Paul Morgan, Manchester Metropolitan University, United Kingdom
Mao Zhang, Stanford University, United States

Submission Status: Open   |   Submission Deadline: 16 November 2024


Musculoskeletal health is vital for promoting well-being, especially as individuals age. Aiming to address the challenges posed by musculoskeletal disorders arising from aging, trauma, injury, malnutrition, and other factors, BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders invites researchers to contribute to our upcoming Collection on nutrition and musculoskeletal health.


New Content ItemThis Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3:  Good Health and Well-being and SDG 10:  Reduced Inequalities.

Meet the Guest Editors

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Paul Morgan, Manchester Metropolitan University, United Kingdom

Dr Paul Morgan is a Senior Lecturer in Human Nutrition and Metabolism at Manchester Metropolitan University, Institute of Sport in Manchester, UK. Broadly speaking, his current primary interests are on the integration of exercise and diet in-vivo across the lifespan, with a predominant focus on skeletal muscle protein metabolism and musculoskeletal deterioration in compromised patient settings and athletic populations. His passion lies within human research that incorporates the use of nutritional and pharmacological interventions as well as exercise training, to improve understanding of the molecular and cellular pathways underpinning alterations with exercise and disease, and in doing so, identifying how exercise and nutrition can be used to optimize health and performance. His current research assesses performance physiology across the life- and health-span; taking an integrative physiological approach from mechanistic to applied work across a range of different populations to improve understanding of the factors that regulate skeletal muscle remodeling, and to identify how exercise and nutrition can be used to optimize health and performance.
 

Mao Zhang, Stanford University, United States

Dr Zhang specializes in understanding the molecular underpinnings of muscle insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunction within the context of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Her research has uncovered the pivotal CaMKII-δ9-UBE2T-DNA damage signaling pathway, a primary driver of heart failure. Additionally, she has identified CaMKII-δ9 as a promising therapeutic target for mitigating inflammation triggered by cardiac ischemic/reperfusion injury and related heart conditions. Collaborating with peers, Dr Zhang explored MG53's dual role in skeletal muscle and cardiac protection, impacting whole-body insulin resistance and cardiac ischemic preconditioning, respectively. Moreover, her work has unveiled glycolytic reprogramming in macrophages and MSCs during inflammation.

About the Collection

Musculoskeletal health is vital for promoting well-being, especially as individuals age. Aiming to address the challenges posed by musculoskeletal disorders arising from aging, trauma, injury, malnutrition, and other factors, BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders invites researchers to contribute to our upcoming Collection on nutrition and musculoskeletal health.

Research in this field has highlighted the significance of metabolic and nutritional factors in the onset and progression of musculoskeletal conditions. This call for papers seeks studies that explore the impact of nutrients, vitamins, minerals, proteins, and fatty acids on bone, muscle, and joint health. Investigating the connection between dietary patterns, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and musculoskeletal disorders is also of interest.

Potential areas of exploration include:

  • Role of nutrients and molecular mechanisms: Investigating the contributions and relationships of various nutrients, ranging from macronutrients to micronutrients, to the well-being of bones, joints, and muscles. 
  • Metabolic influences and bidirectional links: Exploring the intricate interplay between metabolic disorders, such as obesity and diabetes, and their influence on musculoskeletal health. Papers elucidating the bidirectional connections between metabolic pathways and musculoskeletal function are highly encouraged.
  • Dietary interventions and efficacy: Presenting novel findings on the efficacy of dietary interventions in preventing, managing, or treating musculoskeletal disorders. This could encompass studies on specific diets, supplements, and personalized nutritional approaches.
  • Lifestyle's impact on bone health: Investigating how lifestyle factors, including physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep patterns, intersect with nutrition and metabolism to shape musculoskeletal health outcomes.
  • Clinical insights and patient outcomes: Sharing clinical investigations that highlight the impact of nutrition and metabolism on patient outcomes, spanning from fracture healing to joint disorders.
  • Innovative therapeutic approaches: Research that proposes novel strategies for preventing, managing, or even reversing musculoskeletal diseases through dietary modifications, metabolic modulation, and lifestyle adjustments.

This Collection aligns with key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By investigating the intricate relationships between nutrition, metabolism, and musculoskeletal well-being, our Collection directly supports SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being. Moreover, this research also indirectly contributes to SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities by addressing health disparities and promoting equitable access to effective interventions for musculoskeletal health.

Image credit: Chinnapong / Getty Images / iStock

There are currently no articles in this collection.

Submission Guidelines

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This Collection welcomes submission of original Research Articles. Should you wish to submit a different article type, please read our submission guidelines to confirm that type is accepted by the journal. Articles for this Collection should be submitted via our submission system, Snapp. During the submission process you will be asked whether you are submitting to a Collection, please select Nutrition and metabolism in musculoskeletal disorders from the dropdown menu.

Articles will undergo the journal’s standard peer-review process and are subject to all of the journal’s standard policies. Articles will be added to the Collection as they are published.

The Editors have no competing interests with the submissions which they handle through the peer review process. The peer review of any submissions for which the Editors have competing interests is handled by another Editorial Board Member who has no competing interests.