Bone Abstracts

Introduction: Collagen and glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) such as hyaluronan (HA) and chondroitin sulfate (CS) are basic elements of bone structure and collagen-GAG composites are currently developed for a wide range of applications. Here, we report on the molecular and cellular effects of GAGs and their sulfated derivatives on osteocytes, which are fundamental orchestrators of bone remodeling.Materials and methods: The effects of native and sulfate-modified ...

Breast cancer is the most frequent malignancy in women and frequently results in osteolytic bone metastases. Amino-bisphosphonates are a standard bone protective therapy and, similarly to statins, inhibit the mevalonate pathway that is crucial for posttranslational protein modifications (farnesylation and geranylation). Direct anti-tumor effects of amino-bisphosphonates and statins have been suggested but high concentrations are necessary to achieve meaningful effects. Our stu...

Wnt proteins and their cognate receptors play a significant role in malignant diseases, in particular in prostate cancer (PCa). We previously showed that WNT5A inhibits PCa cell proliferation and induces apoptosis in vitro, leading to reduced PCa growth in vivo. However, the involved receptors remain unknown. Here, we determine the role of two Wnt receptors (FZD8, RYK) and their influence on the WNT5A-induced effects on PCa cells.The ex...

Clinical data suggest that the mTOR inhibitor everolimus may have bone protective effects in addition to its anti-tumor effects in women with ER+/HER2− metastatic breast cancer receiving hormone-ablative therapies. Based on these findings, we tested the hypothesis, whether everolimus exerts concurrent anti-tumor effects while protecting the skeleton in murine models. Thus, we assessed bone metabolism and anti-tumor effects in osteolytic cancer models upon exposure to eve...

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common cancer type in older men and often metastasizes to bone in advanced stages. Wnt proteins are implicated in carcinogenesis and especially WNT5A has been discussed to influence the clinical outcome of various cancer types, including PCa. In addition, WNT5A stimulates osteogenic differentiation and may thus not only be involved in PCa development, but also in the formation of subsequent skeletal metastasis. Here, we determined the role of ...