Bone Abstracts

Osteocytes make up >90% of bone cells, are embedded in mineralised matrix where they form a communication network. Osteocytes differentiate from osteoblasts, and are mechano-sensitive. They are very difficult to isolate with a dependence on cell lines for in vitro studies of osteocyte biology. Therefore new methods to study these cells are essential. Recent publications indicate that osteoblasts maintained in in vitro 3D collagen gels may differentiate to...

Antenatal glucocorticoid (GC) injections are not only used to enhance fetal lung maturation in preterm children but also for the treatment of maternal conditions such as autoimmune diseases or infections. Animal models and clinical studies suggest that the regulation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis is altered in the offspring of GC-treated mothers with increased sensitivity to stress.Objective: The aim of this study is i) to define t...

Chronic stress and depression are associated with alterations in the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal signalling cascade and considered a risk factor for bone loss and fractures. However, the mechanisms underlying the association between stress and poor bone health are unclear. Utilising a transgenic (tg) mouse model in which glucocorticoid signalling is selectively disrupted in mature osteoblasts and osteocytes (HSD2OB-tg mice), the current study examines t...

Chronic stress and depression are associated with alterations in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal signalling cascade and considered a risk factor for bone loss and fractures. However, the mechanisms underlying the association between stress and poor bone health are unclear. Utilising a transgenic (tg) mouse model in which glucocorticoid signalling is selectively disrupted in mature osteoblasts and osteocytes (HSD2OB-tg mice), the current study examines the impact ...

Background: Progressive osseous heteroplasia (POH) (OMIM 166350) is a rare autosomal dominant condition, characterized by heterotopic ossification of the skin, subcutaneous fat and deep connective tissue. This condition is distinct from Albright’s hereditary osteodystrophy or Mccune–Albright syndrome (AHO) (OMIM 103580) and fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) (OMIM 135100).Presenting problem: We present an unu...

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We have previously demonstrated the presence of circulating mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in fracture patients. However, the exact time for their appearance in circulation remains unknown. Nine patients (five females, four males, age 70±12 years, range 55–89 years) with a fresh femoral neck fracture were recruited in the study, which was approved by the local ethical committee. Bone marrow (BM) sample drawn from the iliac crest of all patients served as the individua...

Glycosphingolipids (GSL) are essential structural components of mammalian cell membranes and lipid rafts that exert pleiotropic effects on cell survival, proliferation, and differentiation. Cancer associated GSL have been shown to promote tumor growth, angiogenesis, and metastasis; however their role in osteoclast (OC) activation and the development of osteolytic bone diseases such as multiple myeloma are not known. We investigated the hypothesis that GSL contribute to OC acti...

Senile osteoporosis and age-related osteopenia are associated with decreased osteoblastogenesis and increased bone marrow adipogenesis. The mechanisms controlling the fate determination of osteoblast to adipocyte differentiation of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC) during aging are not known. We and others previously showed that the cell-cell adhesion molecule N-cadherin (N-Cadh) expressed in osteoblasts controls bone formation, but little is known about its role in BMSC fate d...

Zoledronic acid (AZ), is considered first-line treatment for Paget’s disease (PD) of bone. The most common adverse event is flu-like syndrome, described between 10 and 50% of patients. Nowadays, there is not known exactly the molecular basis of this syndrome yet. Statins play an important role in the mevalonate pathway, blocking the production of proinflammatory cytokines secreted by T cells γ/δ.Objectives: Characterization and in...