Bone Abstracts

Nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates (N-BPs) are used to treat osteolytic bone metastases. N-BPs have been previously shown to enter macrophages via macropinocytosis, but the mechanisms how they are taken up by breast cancer cells are so far incompletely known. In breast cancer primary tumours N-BPs have been shown, by other researchers, to be bound to micro-calcifications present in the tumour stroma. In our study we have characterized how different N-BP formulations, free, ca...

Tumour stromal macrophages differentiate into tumour associated macrophages (TAMs), with characteristics resembling the immunosuppressive M2 polarization instead of the pro-inflammatory M1. TAMs have a central role in promoting tumour vascularization, cancer cell dissemination and suppression of anti-cancer immune response. Cancer cell dissemination leads to metastasis formation which, e.g. in breast cancer often happens in bone marrow. We have studied the in vitro mo...

Biographical DetailsDr Leanne M Ward is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Ottawa where she holds a Research Chair in Pediatric Bone Health. She is the Medical Director of the Pediatric Bone Health Clinical and Research Programs at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) and a pediatric endocrinologist within the Division of Endocrinology and Metaboli...

Biographical DetailsBarbara M Misof is Staff Scientist at the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Osteology, Vienna, Austria. She completed her PhD in Physics and Postgraduate Education in Medical Physics at the University of Vienna in 2000. In 2002, she received the Herbert-Czitober-Research Award of the Austrian Society of Bone and Mineral Research. Her areas of interest are bone material pro...

Background: We have previously shown that MLO-Y4 osteocytes express a number of P2 receptors, respond to a broad range of nucleotides (e.g. UTP) by increasing intracellular calcium concentration and release ATP upon both mechanical and UTP stimulation. The aim of this study therefore is to investigate how the osteocytes release ATP and whether there is a difference in release pathway depending on the type of stimulus.Methods: ATP release was investigated...

Experimental studies suggested that both, oxidative stress and the Wnt pathway, are important factors in the regulation of bone remodeling. Thus, low antioxidant levels and elevated markers of Wnt pathway inhibitors (sclerostin) levels are associated with a reduced bone mineral density and increased risk of osteoporotic fracture. Whether oxidative stress and the Wnt pathway are related to fracture risk is poorly understood.M&M: Cross-sectional study ...

Background: Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Natural products have been regarded as important sources of potential chemotherapeutic agents. In this study, we evaluated the antiproliferative activity of oleuropein, an olive oil compound traditionally found in the Mediterranean diet.Design and Methods: The antiproliferative activity on two human osteosarcoma cell lines (MG-63 and Saos2) was evaluated in vitro using the MTT c...

Background: The baby growing in its mother’s womb needs calcium for skeletal development. Maternal osteoporosis has been attributed to pregnancy in some cases.Presenting problem: A 27-year-old woman in the 7th month of her first pregnancy complained of mid-thoracic back pain after lifting a non-heavy object. The pain remained with differing intensity and was attributed to her pregnancy. After the delivery of a healthy child, the back pain prevented ...

Objectives: Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a complex three-dimensional spinal deformity associated with low bone mass. Our previous clinical trial demonstrated the anabolic bone effect of vibration treatment (VT) at the femoral neck in AIS subjects. The therapeutic effect was more pronounced in those with optimal serum 25(OH) Vit-D level (>40 nmol/l). To investigate possible factor interaction between Vit-D and VT on their anabolic bone effects, this in-vitro...

The childhood obesity is a global epidemic. Some studies with pre-pubertal children reported a positive relationship between fat mass and bone. However, there are no available data on the influence of the nutritional status on parameters of quantitative ultrasound (QUS). The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of nutritional status in bone mass assessed by QUS of proximal phalanges in girls. The bone mass parameter, amplitude dependent speed sound (AD-SoS) in meter...