Type VI collagen: a multifunctional regulator in bone homeostasis and tissue engineering

• Type VI collagen maintains bone homeostasis by promoting osteoblast matrix bridge formation and inhibiting TNF-α/NF-κB p65-mediated osteoclast activation. • Dysregulation of type VI collagen is linked to osteoporosis (α2 chain epigenetic suppression), osteoarthritis (pericellular matrix degradation), and bone tumors (α1 chain overexpression). • Type VI collagen enhances osteogenic properties of scaffolds and its degradation products serve as diagnostic biomarkers for fibrotic diseases. • Antisense oligonucleotide therapy shows promise for correcting splice-site mutations in type VI collagen-related disorders.