Bone adjusts its structure to become better suited to withstand the mechanical demands it experiences. Physical loading and routine activities have been shown to inhibit bone resorption. However, the cellular mechanism underlying this phenomenon remains largely unknown. The focus of a recent study [1] was to determine the mechanisms by which osteocytes might transduce and regulate bone resorption, and the antiresorptive effects of loading.
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Femoral neck BMD is a strong predictor of hip fracture susceptibility in elderly men and women
17/02/2009 in DiagnosisDespite the sexual dimorphism of bone, hip fracture risk is very similar in men and women at the same absolute bone mineral density (BMD). A recent study was conducted with the objective of elucidating the main structural properties of bone that underlie the measured BMD and that ultimately determine the risk of hip fracture in elderly men and women [1]. This study is part of the Rotterdam Study (a large prospective population-based cohort) and included 147 incident hip fracture cases in 4806 participants with DXA-derived hip structural analysis (mean follow-up, 8.6 y).
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The future of bone formation: pharmacological manipulation of the Wnt signaling pathway
10/02/2009 in PhysiologyOne pathway identified by human genetics as a major player in the control of bone formation is the Wnt signaling pathway [1]. This pathway is crucial for the specification of cell fates, regulation of cell growth, differentiation, and apoptosis. Wnt ligands are secreted lipid-modified glycoproteins that signal through a receptor complex comprising a member of the Frizzled family of seven transmembrane domain receptors, and the co-receptor lipoprotein-receptor related proteins (LRPs) 5 or 6.
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Disruption of calcineurin in osteoblasts increases bone formation and reduces bone resorption
03/02/2009 in PathophysiologyCalcineurin is a protein phosphatase that regulates several physiological processes and is the target for cyclosporine A. Pharmacological inhibition of calcineurin by low concentrations of cyclosporin A increases osteoblast differentiation in vitro and bone mass in vivo. To determine whether calcineurin exerts direct actions on osteoblasts, the authors of a recent study [1] generated mice lacking a calcineurin regulatory subunit selectively in osteoblasts.
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