Magnesium facilitates the healing of atypical femoral fractures: A single-cell transcriptomic study

We reported the application of single-cell mRNA sequencing to identify a unique population of fibroblasts that exits in the fracture callus of bisphosphonate-treated rats. Such unique population of fibroblasts prevented fracture healing by secreting ECM. Further, it was found that these ECM-secreting fibroblasts were enriched for myeloid genes, suggesting a bone marrow orgin. After fractures were treated with local CGRP injection or Magnesium based biometal, such population of fibroblasts was cleared off, resulting in facilitated fracture healing of bisphosphonate-treated rats.