In March 2022, an original research article from Professor Yongsheng Zhou's team entitled "The PCK2-glycolysis axis assists three-dimensional-stiffness maintaining stem cell osteogenesis" was published in Bioactive Materials.

Previous work of Professor Yongsheng Zhou's team revealed that PCK2, a key enzyme of glucose metabolism, could promote bone regeneration through autophagy related pathways; PCK2 could treat age-related and estrogen-deficient osteoporosis (Stem Cells, 2019, et al.). This study further explored the role of PCK2 on regulating bone regeneration in extracellular matrix with different stiffness. The physical characteristics of 3D trabeculae network of normal and osteoporotic bone with different stiffness was experimentally mimicked, revealing a new mechanism that PCK2 promotes bone regeneration through regulating glycolysis signaling pathway in extracellular matrix with different stiffness. This study coupled the mechanical characteristics of cell metabolism with the microenvironment, providing a new perspective for promoting bone regeneration and bone defects repair under the condition of osteoporosis.

This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Beijing Natural Science Foundation of China and China Postdoctoral Science Foundation. Dr. Zheng Li, a postdoctoral fellow in the department of prosthodontics, was the first author, Prof. Yongsheng Zhou and Associate Prof. Ping Zhang in the Department of prosthodontics, were the co-corresponding authors.

Graphical Abstract：A schematic hypothesis of how PCK2 regulates BMMSCs osteogenesis in 3D ECM with different stiffness.

Online linkage: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bioactmat.2022.03.036