Meta-environment No7: osteocytic lacunar-canalicular network — distributed mechanosensory and endocrine system of the skeleton

Osteocytes are the most numerous cells of bone tissue, making up to 95% of all cells in the skeleton. Their bodies are enclosed in lacunae, and numerous processes pass through the canalicles, forming a single three-dimensional lacunar-canalicular network (LCN), a distributed communication system that permeates the entire mineralized matrix of the bone. For a long time, osteocytes were considered passive "walled-up" cells, but modern research has radically revised this idea. In this article, we substantiate that the osteocytic lacunar-canalicular reticulum is an active meta-medium No7 that meets all four criteria. Osteocytes function as mechanosensory cells, converting mechanical loads into biochemical signals via Piezo1/2 channels, interstitial fluid flow integration, and YAP/TAZ-dependent transcription. Through the secretion of RANKL and sclerostina (SOST), osteocytes regulate the activity of osteoclasts and osteoblasts, and through the endocrine factor FGF23, systemic phosphate homeostasis. Damage to the network is the basis of osteoporosis, aseptic necrosis, and age-related deterioration of bone quality. Systemic restoration of the osteocytic reticulum using the Quatotron method is presented, combining multimodal physical action, longevity mechanics and biogenic nutrition to restore mechanotransduction, reduce osteocytic death and improve bone remodeling. Understanding LCN as a meta-environment opens up new opportunities for the prevention and treatment of age-related skeletal diseases.